ChallengeAThon!
by The Engulfing Silence
Summary: Various chapters for stories that I came up with but am unable to commit to. I challenge any writer to take one and write out a story for it!
1. Chapter 1

**Due to a combination of my inability to find a job in my chosen career, a lack of interaction with friends since most of them have moved after college, and a general lack of enthusiasm, my muse has been acting up recently. I'm sure some of you have noticed this with my slower then normal updates. The truth is my muse for my stories is gone for the moment. I will at some point get back to them, and am still doing my best to write them. But because my mind is in a state of imagination blockage I am unable to truly make anything good.**

**Despite this, I for some reason have come up with several story ideas that I feel would be good, but due to my lack of muse and time (after all working full-time while trying to find my career job, as well as constantly working on updating my portfolio is time consuming) I have neither the time nor the ability to truly take these stories anywhere. At some point I may, but right now I can't.**

**Therefore I am issuing the following stories you will find here as a challenge to all fanfiction writers!**

**Within these hallowed pages will be various story ideas that I have come up with. Each one is a single chapter of different Naruto crossover stories that I thought up during my long hours of standing behind a cash register. They are the beginning of each story, the prologue if you will. My challenge to you is this...**

**...Take one of these stories and make it your own! Write a story based on one of the prologue chapters you read in this challenge-a-thon!**

**Please note that after each chapter will be a small set of requirements you must hit in each story. These requirements in no way hamper imaginational productivity, merely reinforce certain points that I feel are common sense when writing a story of the crossover nature.**

**For those of you who accept a challenge please MS me stating you have accepted a challenge. Part of the reason I am doing this is because I wish to see what other people would do with my ideas.**

**To all those who decide to take up one of my challenges, good luck!**

**Pokemaster12 ^_^**


	2. Naruto and ToLoveRue

**Idea for a Naruto/To-Love-Rue crossover.**

**Summery: Instead of landing in the bathtub of Rito Yuuki, Lala ends up landing in the bathtub of everyone's favorite blond, immortal shinobi, Naruto Uzumaki. How would life at Sainan High go if our all powerful immortal ninja was attending high school there as a part of his cover? How would it change with Lala by his side?**

* * *

><p>Yuuki Rito watched as his secret, or not-so-secret crush, depending on who you were, walk past him in the hallway at his school.<p>

Like most people Rito was a fairly normal high school student, with no real unusual or unique features. He was sixteen years old and stood at about one-hundred and sixty-four centimeters. He was neither skinny nor fat and didn't look all that athletic. His eyes were a slight golden brown and he was wearing the standard green pants and tie with a white undershirt and light tan blazer combo of the school he went to. The only feature about him that could be considered unique was his messy orange hair, an unusual color no matter where you were.

_'Todays the day!'_ he thought to himself in determination. There was a fire in his eyes that were only present on days like this. Day in which he decided to confess to the girl he loved. _'Todays the day I confess to Haruna-chan!'_

Ever since he had first met his crush, Haruna, a rather pretty girl in his grade with purple hair and eyes it had been love at first sight. Her beauty had always astounded and affected him in ways no other female ever had. But it was her kindness that had truly earned her Rito's love.

_'I'm going to do it!'_

He could see it all now. He would walk up to Haruna, boldly and with a confident gate never before seen. He would get down on one knee, taking her hand in his and professing his love for her. Then he would ask her to be his girlfriend, and she would say –

"Confessing to Haruna again today, eh Rito?"

"Yes, today I'm gonna –" Rito started only to stop as he realized the voice had come from directly behind him. "AAH!" With a loud shout he spun around to look at the person that had managed to snea up on him.

Said person was a young man wearing the same clothing as him, green pants and tie with a tan blazer. He had spiky blond hair that went down to his shoulders, with two jaw length bangs framing his face and a spiky fringe hovering over his eyes. Said eyes were blue and held a piercing quality that Rito had always found unnerving, he always felt those eyes were looking into his very soul. Perhaps the oddest feature about this man were the six whisker marks on his face, three on each cheek, running horizontally across his face.

"Damn it, Naruto! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on someone like this! You always do this, constantly sneaking up behind other people and scaring the living day lights out of them! Especially me!" Finished with his tirade Rito stopped, his shoulders hunching as he began breathing heavily, looking for all the world like he had just run a marathon.

"Hahaha! Gomen, gomen," Naruto said, waving a hand in front of his face as if to ward off Rito's comical anger. Not that he seemed to be all that affected by the orange-haired teens anger. Indeed, it looked as if he found more amusement in Rito's blustering then anything else.

"So..." the blond started again, a sly look on his face as he leaned down to look at Rito face to face. Being one of the tallest people in school, close to five foot eight, most of the students only reached chest height with Naruto. In order to look at people eye to eye the blond needed to lean or bend down. "I see you're going to confess to Haruna-chan again today. You know, this will the two-hundred and fifty-sixth time you do this. So far you've failed at every single attempt at capturing her heart. Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Of course I am sure! This time will definitely be different!" Rito said, holding a shaking fist up to his face.

"That's exactly what I was hoping you would say," Naruto smirked at Rito, making said male blink at him in confusion. The blond's smirk widened as he said, "you're going to succeed this time because I'm going to help you."

"EH!" Rito gaped at the whiskered male.

"That's right," Naruto said. "Ever since I came to this high school I've had to watch your terrible attempts at confessing to Haruna. The first time it was funny, watching you fail so miserably that you actually ran home during lunch. The second time it was funny, the third it started getting old and now..." the blond shrugged. "Let's just say watching you fail consecutively so many times is beginning to get too painful for me to watch. Therefore, I am going to help you confess to her!"

"Eh? How?" asked Rito, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"Easy, we're going to walk up to her and you're going to confess. Now, come on!" Naruto didn't even give Rito a chance to say anything after that as he grabbed the orange-haired teen by the jacket and began dragging him along. "Let's go find Haruna-chan!"

"W-Wait!" Rito struggled to remove the blonds hand, or at least make Naruto stop. It was unfortunate for him that Uzumaki Naruto was the strongest person in school, even the P.E. Teacher wouldn't dare mess with him, especially after the last time he was humiliating in front of the entire student body by the whiskered male. "I-I can't do it right now! I have to get the timing right!"

"If you wait until you feel the timing is right then we're going to be waiting forever," Naruto shot back. "You're sense of timing sucks. That's half the reason you haven't been able to confess to Haruna-chan. Seriously, every time you feel the timing is right something bad happens. Which is exactly why I'm choosing the timing for you. Now stop struggling, it will only make things that much harder for you."

Despite his friends advice Rito continued struggling against the blond. This resulted in him getting bodily dragged through out the school in front of the entire student population. It was fortunate for Rito that Naruto was the one dragging him, otherwise people might have made fun of the sixteen year old high school student. As it was, the blond that was effortlessly hauling him around cut an imposing enough figure that none of the male population dared to say anything against him.

They soon found Haruna with three of her friends. Without even thinking about it Naruto walked right up to the group and cut into their conversation. "Excuse me," he said, grabbing their attention. He gave the group a smile, "I was wondering if you three could help me with something."

Rito almost groaned when three of the four girls began to swoon over the blond. Aside from being the most athletic and academic student in school, Naruto was also the most popular, especially with the girls in school. His handsome features combined with his open and easy going attitude had drawn nearly all of the girls to him. The fact that almost every girl also seemed to have this strong urge to touch his whisker marks, all them claiming they were the cutest things they had ever seen, only added to his general appeal.

This had led to many of the male students hating Naruto, though few would actually try and harm him. Rito was just glad that Haruna didn't seem to be affected by his looks and personality to any serious extent.

"How can we help you Naruto-sama!" asked the girls in their girlish and excitable voice. It was a typical response and Rito had gotten used to it by now. He didn't know why the girls called him 'Sama' but then, none of the other guys did. Though there was much debate on the subject in truth, Rito didn't really care.

Naruto pulled the three girls aside and huddled with them. "Listen, my friend is having some troubles confessing to the girl of his dreams and so I've decided to help give him a push in the right direction. I want you girls to help me take Haruna-chan and Rito to the equipment shed and lock them inside." The three looked unsure at his request and so the blond decided to use his secret weapon. "If you do this, I promise to take each of you out on a date."

"A date!" the girls said at the same time. It was an eerie form of synchronicity that only females could accomplish. For several seconds the three high school girls stood still, their face going red and their eyes glazing over as they imagined a date with the blond. One of the girls ended up getting a nose bleed and actually looked close to passing out. In the end they agreed to help Naruto stating, "while we don't really like Yuuki-san, we'll agree to help since it's you asking."

"Excellent!" Naruto said, standing up and clapping his hands together in gratitude. He rushed back over to Rito and Haruna, both of whom had been standing together awkwardly and smiled. "Alright you two, time to go!"

"What! W-wait! Hold on a moment! Where are you taking us!" Rito shouted as he and Haruna were both lifted into the air. Naruto ignored the orange-haired teens shouting, along with the startled and frightened noises Haruna was making as they ran through the school was once again.

It wasn't long before they reached the equipment shed located on the opposite side of the school. Acting before Rito could even gain his bearings, Naruto threw both him and his crush into the shed, closed and locked the door.

"Naruto!" Rito shouted as he stood up, rushed over to the door and grabbed onto the handle. He tried opening it, even going so far as to place both his feet on the wall in an effort to get some leverage. Yet no matter how hard he tried the door would not budge. "Hey, Naruto! Let me out! Let! Me! Out! I can't do it like this! You need to let me out!"

Despite his shouting, Naruto seemed to be ignoring him. That, or he had already left which wouldn't surprise Rito one bit. Sighing the orange-haired high schooler dropped to the floor and wondered what he should do next.

As he did a small piece of paper fell out of the inside of his blazer. Curiously, he picked it up and uncrumbled the sheet. On it was the neat handwriting that he recognized as Naruto's. It said:

_By now I'm sure you've noticed that the door to the room is locked. I've also taken the liberty of barring the windows. I regret that it has come to this, but until you confess to Haruna I won't let you out._

_That said, there is food located in a fridge that I have hidden behind the basketball storage bins in the corner. Since I don't know how long it will take until you confess, I figured you might need something to keep you satiate._

_Good luck!_

_~Naruto~_

At the end of the message was a chibi Naruto with a fox like grin, holding out up the peace sign.

Rito felt his eyes twitching as he stared at the letter. "Somehow, I feel I should have seen this coming," he said to himself. "The entire year I've known him Naruto has never been able to keep out of other peoples business. And now I'm stuck here with Ha...ru...na..." Trailing off at the end he blinked several times as the realization hit him.

He was alone with Haruna.

_'Now's my chance!'_ he thought to himself, his excitement beginning to rise. _'Now's my chance to finally confess to Haruna. If I get out of this alive I'll have to thank Naruto for being so nosy!'_

"A-Ano, Yuuki-kun."

At the sound of the feminine voice Rito froze. Turning, he found Haruna standing not three feet away from him. She was looking down at the ground, her eyes occasionally moving up to meet his, only to look away a few seconds later.

Rito gulped.

_'Come on, Rito! Now is your chance! You can't screw this up!'_

"I..." He stuttered out, only to stop when Haruna looked at him. Gulping he tried again, "I... I... I..."

"Hmm?" Haruna looked at him, blinking as a confused expression crossed her face. She looked slightly concerned because of how much Rito was stuttering. Were said male more attentive he might have noticed. As it was he was so busy trying to get the words out that he couldn't even think straight, much less notice the small nuances that dictated female behavior and emotions.

"I... I..." _'Come on! Come on! You can do this, Rito! Just say it! Say it!' _"I like you!" he shouted, bowing down at the waist so he wouldn't have to look at Haruna. Said girl's eyes widened as she took a step back. Not seeing the action, Rito continued. "I've liked you for a really long time! And I was hoping... that is, if you want to... I was hoping you would go out with me!"

Rito kept his eyes closed, his body bowed low, for fear that Haruna would reject him. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, beating nearly two thousand miles a minute. It felt like it was attempting to beat its way out of him it was going so fast.

His nerves were beginning to fray as the silence continued. Maybe he shouldn't have confessed to her. What if she didn't like him? What if she thought he was weird? Or gross? Or some kind of loser? She could think he wasn't worth her time and tell him that she didn't want anything to do with him. Or –

"...Ok..."

"Eh?" Rito blinked, looked up at Haruna, then blinked again.

Said girl blushed as she looked down at her feet. "I... would like to go out with you too. The truth is... I've always liked you."

Rito found himself gaping. Haruna had always liked him? Why hadn't he known this?

Unknowing of his inner thoughts, Haruna continued. "Yuuki-kun has always been a kind person. You were always taking care of the plants after school, making sure they were watered. Most people forget about watering the plants after school, but you never failed to tend to them. That's why I admire Yuuki-kun a lot."

"You... you like me?" asked Rito, making sure he had heard her correctly. Haruna looked away, looked back, nodded once, then looked away again. Still wanting to be sure she liked him he said, "then, will you go out with me?"

Haruna blushed as she looked at him. "H-Hai."

"Ah..." A wide smile split Rito's face as he jumped up, grabbing Haruna in his excitement and spinning her around, much to said girls embarrassment.

Unbeknownst to them, one blond haired, blue eyed male was hidden amongst the equipment. He looked at them with a smile before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

* * *

><p>(Several Miles outside of school)<p>

Uzumaki Naruto stopped walking as the memories of his clone hit him. He looked back at the school, a small smile playing on his face. "Way to go, kid," he said softly to himself. A rueful chuckled escaped his lips. "Who would have thought that after living for somewhere around three thousand years I would be reduced to playing matchmaker between high school kids."

Shaking his head Naruto turned around and restarted his walk home. As he did his eyes took in the city he was currently living in.

While Tokyo had been the center of Japan for a long time, it always amazed the blond how much it had changed in the past one hundred years. When last he had been in the city – somewhere around one to one hundred and fifty years ago – it had been a decent sized city with closely spaced buildings and shops. Now it was a large it was a bustling metropolis of large, towering sky scrapers, crisscrossing high ways, and heavily populated suburban areas. The place Naruto was living in at the moment was one of the less populated housing districts on the outskirts of Tokyo. Far enough away that he wasn't hemmed in by the crushing population of the big city, but close enough that it would only take a two hour train ride to reach the center.

The district he was living in was a nice, albeit plain residential area. The houses were all the same, standard two story buildings with a slanted roof, a balcony and a small backyard. There were only small differences to distinguish one house from another, those being the tiny altercations made by the people who lived there. A variation in a persons garden here, a small flag hung up on a roof there, diminutive yet significant contrasts that allowed Naruto to tell who lived where.

His own house was located on a corner, in fact he lived right next door to Rito Yuuki. That was actually how they had become friends, him living so close to the nice yet clumsy teen had ensured that the young man would be the first person Naruto met. And having seen the kid and how horrible his luck was in many areas, the blond had decided to more or less take Rito under his wing. Even if that was sometimes more of an occupational hazard then a privileged position.

"Normally I'd be walking home with Rito," Naruto mused with a grin. "I wonder how he and Haruna are getting along. Hya... I should probably inform Mika-chan that her brother isn't going to be coming home any time soon."

With that thought in mind Naruto walked up to the house belonging to Rito and his younger sister. Stopping at the entrance he rang the door bell, then crossed his arms and leaned against the wall while he waited.

"Coming!" came a shout from the inside. The sound of foot steps resounded from behind the door. A few seconds later the front door opened and Yuuki Mikan's head peaked out from the crack.

Yuuki Mikan was a cute twelve year old girl with brown eyes and long brown hair that was standardly done up in a slight pony tail that made the back-top part of her head look like a pineapple. The hair that she didn't catch in her ponytail, which was quite a lot, was let down to flow behind her back, stopping at mid-back. She was wearing a pair of short jeans that stopped at mid thigh, and an orange sweat shirt with a yellow undershirt. Despite her young age she was already beginning to develop a womanly figure, and Naruto knew when she got older that Rito would have his hands full trying to keep men away from his younger sister.

The minute the girl saw him she swung the door open the rest of the way and rushed forward, smashed into his torso, engulfing him in a hug as she shouted. "Naruto-nii-chan!"

"Hey there, Mika-chan," Naruto said with a chuckle as he ruffled Mikan's hair. When he had first moved in and met and befriended Rito, he had been invited over to the orange-haired teens house. It was there he had met Mika for the first time.

At first, things had been very awkward for the blond and Rito as the young girl seemed to have developed one of those 'love at first sight' crushes on him. It was not the first time such a thing had happened when Naruto met the younger or older sister of a person he became friends with. He even remembered one case in England when he had been posing as a college student and met with a friends mother. The woman had been a thirty-something year old widow with her husband dying in World War II and when she had met him had done her best to seduce him. It hadn't worked and Naruto thankfully managed to leave the country after faking his death. Since then he had been careful on how he reacted when meeting new girls.

Thankfully the girls crush only lasted for a month and since then Naruto had been something of a second older brother, or the older brother she always wanted if one went by Mikan's words. This of course was a point of contention and much teasing between the three of them. Mikan would always complain that Rito was an unreliable and useless brother, while Naruto would tease Rito about being cooler then him and Mikan about having a crush on her second 'onii-chan'. Rito would always end up skulking in a corner with a rain cloud over his head and Mikan would blush up a storm. They were fun times in Naruto's opinion. He would be sad when he was forced to leave this place.

"What are you doing here?" Mikan asked, then she looked around. "And where is Rito?"

"Oh, he's going to be a bit late," Naruto replied with a smile and a hum.

Mikan looked at Naruto suspiciously. "What did you do?"

A grin worked it's way to the blond's face. "Oh, nothing much. Just locked your brother in a gym equipment locker room with Haruna-chan. They won't be able to open the door for another..." Naruto paused to look at his watch, "two hours. I figured that would be enough time for him to finally man up and confess."

"So you finally decided to get involved in Rito's relationship problems," Mika said. She shook her head and sighed. "I was honestly wondering when you would finally grow tired of watching him flounder around. I swear he's useless when it comes to women... and a lot of other things."

"Aw, now don't be dissing on your brother," Naruto chided. "He's just not as experienced, well traveled or awesome as I am. It's only natural that it would take some time getting his cool factor up to snuff, that, and several pushes in the right direction."

"Right..." Mikan said with a sweat drop forming on the back of her head. "So are you staying for dinner then? It's Monday so normally you would stay with us for dinner, right?"

"Not today," Naruto replied. "With Rito stuck with Haruna for the next few hours I think it would be best if I stayed home. Who knows what kind of things you might try and do to me if we were all-a-lone."

"B-Baka," Mikan stuttered with a slight blush. "I wouldn't do... anything like – like that!"

"Good to know," Naruto chuckled before ruffling the girls hair. Mikan blushed harder and shoved his hand off, making him smile. "Anyways, I just came to tell you that, I'll see you later."

"Okay, bye," Mikan said as she shut the door.

Naruto walked over to his house, unlocked the door and stepped inside. He made his way into the kitchen, walking over to his pantry and opened it. Inside were several hundred boxes of instant ramen. They filled the entire pantry, covering every square inch. Even after thousands of years his love of ramen had not diminished, and despite being capable of cooking other foods, ramen would always remain his number one favorite. Hence the reason he had what had been lovingly dubbed "the ramen pantry" by him.

"What should I go with today..." mumbled Naruto as he grabbed several cups of ramen and looked them over. "Miso... Chicken... Pork... Beef... Shrimp... Crab... hmmm..." after several minutes of this he decided to go with one of each flavor, that way he wouldn't have to feel so conflicted about his food choice. Besides that, cup ramen was small and unfilling. He only ate instant ramen when he didn't feel like cooking his own meals.

Ripping the tops off Naruto poured water into each cup and placed one of them in the microwave. He waited the three minutes it took to make the ramen, complaining the whole time. "Damn instant ramen... how can it be instant if it takes three minutes to cook? You'd think that after three thousand years someone would find a way to make instant ramen truly instant. Maybe I should that... there might even be a profit in it if I can cut into the ramen market."

His thoughts were cut off as the chime of the microwave sounded. He quickly opened the door, took the ramen out, placed another one in, started the timer again, then began eating the already made ramen. This act was completed several times as he would eat his ramen, while waiting for the other ramen he had in the microwave being made. When the blond was done he threw the cups away and headed upstairs.

He entered the bathroom not long after, stripped out of his clothes and folded them up before putting them in a basket. After walking into the room on the opposite side of the changing room, he went over to the tub and turned on the water. There was a slight glow on the faucet as the seals began working, heating up the water in the bathtub quicker then it would normally. While waiting for the tub to finish filling up Naruto used the shower head to wash himself off.

As he cleaned up he let his mind wander. His thoughts took him to the past, a place they usually went when he let them. He had lived a long life, due to a combination of his Uzumaki heritage, his abilities as a sage and an all powerful, world destroying demon sealed inside of his gut, he had gained what many would be madmen dreamed of.

Immortality.

However, while someone like Orochimaru would have orgasmed at the thought of being an all powerful immortal, to Naruto it was more of a curse then anything else. His life had been filled with being alone. Even when he was with the friends he made in whatever century he was living in the feeling never really left. It only stayed it's hand for a time.

"Every one in Sainan High says I should get a girl," he chuckled a bit at that. The male population at school with the soul exception of Rito hated him due to the fact that so many of the girls swooned over him, yet he refused to date a single one of them. Not to say he hadn't gone on _dates_, but he always felt there was difference between going on a date, and dating someone.

He switched off the water, both to the tub and the shower head before sinking himself into the steaming liquid. A sigh escaped the blonds lips, "even if I were to get a girlfriend it would never last, would it? Eventually I would be forced to leave before people discovered I was immortal. I wonder how all of the friends I made would feel if they knew my secret." A dry laugh escaped his throat. "They'd probably be frightened and run off. Hya... even if they didn't, how could I have any kind of serious relatioship when their just going to die a few decades later anyways?"

His thoughts trailed off as he leaned back in the tub and shut his eyes. He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew there was a bright flash of blue light coming from the water. An explosion caused the water in his tub to shoot into the air, and Naruto was so surprised by the sudden and unprecedented attack that the old and disused ninja instincts he had long since had were unable to actually prevent him from doing anything other then throwing his hands out in order to protect himself.

In doing this the first thing Naruto's hands were not any kind of painful attacks, not the sting of some form of weapon or the burning or cutting of a jutsu. No, the moment his hands went out to ward off whatever attack was coming his way were a pair of well defined and large breasts.

Naruto opened his eyes, which had closed during his attempt to shield himself from what he had assumed was an attack on his person. He blinked several times when he saw his hands groping a set of beautiful breasts. They were large, if Naruto had to guess he would say they had a total circumference of eighty-nine centimeters. Yet despite being completely free of the confines of a bra they didn't sag.

Almost in a trance Naruto moved his hands along the silky skin, they moved away from the center and he got a good look at the nipples that dotted the center. The aerola was a light shade of pink, with the nipple being only one tone darker in color. Still surprised, Naruto's hands moved on instinct, his thumb and forefinger light pinching the nipple and giving them a tweak.

A slight moan from the female he was touching brought his mind back into the focus. He looked up and found his breath hitching in his throat. Nestled in between his legs was a highly attractive teenage girl with long bubble gum pink hair, emerald green eyes, and a curvacious, almost perfect, hour glass figure. Her most distinguishing feature was the tail which extends down from the base of her back. It was was long, thin, and ended with a heart-shaped tip. It seemed to move behind her at random, and Naruto couldn't help but wonder if it was real or not.

She reminded him of Sakura, a much hotter Sakura with a larger chest and wider hips but the green eyes and pink hair was almost identical to those of the girl that had been his first crush. The memories seeing this girl brought back were almost physically painful, and it took an effort of will to push them back.

"Escape successful," the girl said, snapping Naruto out of his momentary laps of reality. He blinked as the girls eyes focused on him, and for a single, solitary second the blond's old fear of women – one that was ironically enough brought about by his first crush – came back and he was almost sure this girl would attempt to beat him within an inch to his life despite the fact that she was the one who had randomly appeared within his tub naked.

She did none of those things, instead smiling as she said, "hello."

Naruto opened his mouth but no words came out. It took a few moments to get his vocal chords to respond, and when they finally did he said, "hello. Who are you?" It was perhaps not the most elegant or relevant question he could have asked, but sometimes it was better to start off with the small things and work your way up. He was still having trouble processing the fact that some random hot female with a tail had appeared in his bathtub naked.

"I'm Lala, from the planet Deviluke," the girl replied.

"Uh huh," Naruto nodded noncommittally. "So you're an extra terrestrial then?"

"Yes, I suppose an earthling like you could call me that," she replied.

She got another nod in response as Naruto's brain finally fully rebooted. He decided to ignore the fact that she was an alien for now, he would deal with it later. Looking at the naked girl in his tub for a moment he computed the best course of action to take in a situation like this.

Thankfully, living for three thousand years had more or less desensitized him to most of the situations life could throw at him.

Standing up Naruto unplugged the drain to the tub and stepped out. The girls eyes followed him as he grabbed two towels, walked back over to her and held out the second one to her. "Wrap this around yourself and come with me, I'll make some tea and you can explain to me why you suddenly appeared in my bathtub."

"Ok," Lala replied. Oddly enough she didn't seem at all bothered by the fact that she was naked, nor the fact that she had just been groped by Naruto. She simply wrapped the towel around her body and stepped out of the tub.

What followed were several long minutes of silence as Naruto led Lala to the living room and had her sit down. He then went into the kitchen and selected some tea, an herbal tea that he had created from the garden he had out back. Hopefully it would help him keep calm because despite the fact that he had seen much in his life, the events of a few minutes ago still had him somewhat shell shocked.

When the tea he was finished he poured the steaming liquid into a pair of cups, grabbed them and walked back into the living room. There he found Lala sitting on the couch, a cheerful and inquisitive expression on her face as she looked around the room. Her tail was wagging behind her in a fashion that almost seemed to mirror the look on her face.

"Here you go," he said, setting the tea down. He received a thank you and took a seat on the chair to the left of the couch. Taking a sip of his tea Naruto sighed as he felt a slight wave of heat moved down his throat, then encompassing his whole body as the soothing herbs relaxed his mind and muscles.

It seemed to have a similar, possibly even more pronounced affect on Lala. As soon as she took a sip her entire body seemed to sag as a groan escaped her lips. "Sugoi..." she said as she sunk into the couch. "This tastes so good."

"Thank you," Naruto replied as he took another sip of tea before setting it down on a glass holder. "Now, why don't I start this off by introducing myself. My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"Please to meet you, Naruto-kun," Lala said, and Naruto actually blinked in surprise when she just automatically added an affectionate suffix to his name. Normally a girl would wait at least a day before calling him that, though the girls in his class this century seemed to prefer calling him Naruto-Sama.

He shook the thought off as irrelevant and continued. "Nice to meet you too, Lala-san. I hope you don't mind me asking about why or perhaps how you suddenly appeared in my bathtub?"

"Ah that would be because of the pyon pyon Warp-kun that I made!" Lala announced proudly as she held out her wrist and showed him a small device attached to it. The thing looked like a silver creature bracelet. It had a center piece that looked like some kind of alien creature with a heart shaped head that held a pair of red eyes, connected to a heart shaped body that was attached to a tail by a pair of claws on either side. It was a very odd looking device, and not something Naruto had ever seen.

Given that it was apparently an alien artifact he wasn't all that surprised.

Lala continued her explanation of the device as Naruto looked it over. "Although I can't define where it goes, it can instantly warp a living thing for a short distance."

"I see," Naruto said, curiosity got the better of him and he switched from the chair to the couch, sitting next to Lala as he looked at the bracelet. "So basically it's like some kind of teleportation device that allows for short distance, instantaneous transportation a certain distance away. It's randomized so you don't actually know where you'll warp too however. I'm going to hazard a guess and say it's some kind of last ditch escape device, used only in dire circumstances." He looked from the 'pyon pyon Warp-kun' to Lala, "am I right?"

"That's right!" Lala said, for some reason she seemed happy that he understood what she was saying, perhaps even overly happy for something so simple. "I used it when I was in the escape pod of my spaceship, and by chance I ended up in your bathtub."

"That makes sense I guess," Naruto replied. He frowned as another thought occurred to him. "And why are you naked?"

"Ah! Well, it only warps living things, so objects like clothes..."

"Are left behind," Naruto finished, earning a slightly embarrassed smile from Lala. "It seems like it has a few kinks that need to be worked out, but I think that's a really awesome device. And you say you built it? That's impressive."

"Ah! Thank you!" the girl replied with an enthusiastic and happy smile. It was so innocent and infectious that Naruto actually found himself smiling as well. He couldn't really say whether he was pleased or displeased with this situation, but if nothing else this girl had just helped him cure several thousand years worth of boredom.

"Your welcome," he said. "So, awesome warping device aside, I suppose the next question I want to ask is why you had to use something like this in the first place."

Lala smiled as she let one of her hands trail along the wrist holding her warp device. "I was being chased," she said. Naruto narrowed his eyes a little but didn't speak, letting her continue unabated. "I thought I would be safe if I escaped to earth. But the pursuers came and my ship was broken down. I was almost captured and brought back." She held up her arm holding the bracelet. "If it wasn't for this bracelet I would have been taken."

"I see..." Naruto said, more for wanting to say anything then actually having something to say. He took in a deep breath and blew it out before deciding on his course of action. "I won't force you into telling me why you're on the run, it's not really any of my business. But I will help you out while you stay here."

"Ah! You will?" said Lala, her eyes going impossibly wide as a hopeful smile shone on her face.

"Of course, I can't just leave someone in need of help to fend for themselves," Naruto said with a shrug. He would have said more but before he could speak again, Lala had launched herself at him, knocking him to the ground as she held him in a fierce hug.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she said in a repeating mantra. In her enthusiasm the towel she had been wearing fell off, and Naruto was forced to take a deep, shuddering breath as he felt her nipples rubbing themselves against his still bare chest. The skin on skin contact reminded him that neither of them were dressed in anything more then towels, and Lala was now in less.

Pushing his admittedly lewd thoughts to the far reaches of his mind, Naruto brought himself into a sitting position and did what he could to pry the girl off. She had a surprisingly strong grip, and he was actually forced to reinforce his muscles with chakra, something he hadn't done for a long time, in order to get her off of him.

"You're welcome," Naruto said. He stood up and had to re wrap his towel as it threatened to come off. He held his hand out to Lala, which was taken by said girl as he pulled her to her feet. He was just about to suggest they move upstairs so they could get dressed when the door behind him opened.

Spinning around the blond was just about to attack whoever had broken into his house when his eyes spotted an odd looking creature with black bat-like wings and swirly eyes fly past him.

"Lala-Sama!" it shouted as it jumped into Lala's waiting arms. "Thank god you're ok, Lala-Sama!"

"Peke!" Lala replied with just as much enthusiasm. "I'm glad to see you're safe too!"

"Thank goodness the ship didn't leave the Earth's atmosphere yet."

It was here that Naruto decided to interrupt. "So, Lala... who's the weird looking creature?"

Said creature turned to look at him and Naruto couldn't be sure, due to the swirl eyes, but he almost thought it was glaring at him. "W-Weird looking!" it said in an insulted tone.

"Ah! This Peke!" Lala introduced. "An all-purpose costume robot that I made."

"Nice to meet you," it said, seeming to have forgotten Naruto's 'insulting' comment.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance as well," Naruto replied. "Costume Robot, huh? So then I take it Peke can transform into... clothing, right?"

"That's right! Peke, do your thing!"

"Ossu! Transform! Dress form!" Peke shouted before he began to glow. Naruto watched in interest as the little robot seemed to burst and transform into what looked like some kind of rope that surrounded Lala. It wrapped itself around her legs, then her rear end – Naruto actually gulped when it tightened around her shapely ass, an action which was repeated when it did the same thing to her breasts.

There were several flashes of light as the ropes seemingly transformed themselves into clothing. Really, Lala's 'clothing' looked more like a female shaped, life sized version of Peke. Though Naruto had to admit she looked very cute, and her outfit seemed to suit her.

Of course, since he could see every crevice and curve of her body Naruto wouldn't complain. He may not consider himself a pervert, but he was still a male.

"Is it too tight, Lala-Sama?" asked Peke, making Naruto blink when he heard the voice.

"Nope, it's perfect," Lala told her...clothes. She held up her arms and moved around a bit, causing her breasts to jiggle. "It's great that you were able to come here so quickly!" She spun around a few times, letting the skirt like part of her clothing spin a bit. After a few test spin she turned to Naruto and smiled. "Well, what do you think? It looks good, right?"

"It's cute," Naruto said. "I've never seen an outfit quite like that before."

"Tee hee!" Lala giggled.

"By the way, Lala-Sama," Peke interrupted. "What do you plan to do now?"

"Ah, Naruto-kun has agreed to help me!" Lala exclaimed. Just then said blond's senses went on high alert as he felt two presences approaching his room. While his abilities seem to have dulled from disuse, they were still quick enough that he was able to grab Lala and move her into a corner before spinning around in a defensive stance as two men in black suits and sunglasses appeared in his room.

"You've been quite troublesome to track down," one of them said, seeming to ignore Naruto's presence. "I'll have to make sure the freedom of your hands and feet are taken away before we leave Earth."

"Peke," Lala said in a deadpanned tone. "Didn't I tell you to make sure no one followed you when coming here?"

"H-hai..."

"Baka robot!" Lala shouted as she began pouting and waving her arms in the air in frustration. Soon enough she started moving around from one foot to the other in what looked like a comical dance, rather then the actions of someone who was angry.

It was amusing to Naruto as he watched Lala berate her clothing, which was attempting to apologize. Were it not for the fact that he had two unwanted guests in his house, he would have enjoyed simply sitting back and watching the girl work herself into a frenzy.

As it was however, he still had a small problem that needed to be taken care of.

Turning his eyes back to the two men he gave them a light glare. "I don't know who you two Yakuza wannabe's are, but I'm only going to give you one warning. Leave now, or suffer the most brutal ass kicking of your life."

"You think you can scare us kid?" asked the one with darker skin. "How about we give you a warning. Step aside or we'll have to hurt you."

"Kid?" Naruto said in disbelief. He cursed himself for being granted eternal youth with his immortality. It was one of the things he hated most. Despite his three thousand years of age, everyone he met mistook him for a high school student. It was actually difficult just for him to get into a college because he looked so young. And while being young looking had it's boons, the fact that no one seemed to take him seriously bugged the crap out of him.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to teach you to respect your elders,_ boy,_" Naruto spoke in a dangerous tone. His eyes were being overshadowed by his hair, blocking his angry glare from view. However, that only made the look more effective and despite themselves, the two men shivered.

"Who do you think you are punk!" shouted one of them, getting over his hesitation with bravado. "I'll show you who's boss here!"

The man ran at Naruto who had yet to move. It was unfortunate for the two thugs that they were too busy charging towards the blond to notice the small smirk he had on his face. If they did, they might have been spared from the painful encounter they were about to have.

As the first one, the male with darker skin came in, fist swinging in an attempt to knock Naruto upside the head, said blond seemingly disappeared from his view. Less then a second after that he was introduced to a new level of pain as a foot met with his jaw, forcing his teeth to shatter as they were smashed together. The dark skinned space Yakuza didn't even get a chance to scream in pain as he was sent sailing into, and then through the ceiling, flying high into the air where he disappeared in a small twinkle.

The other man didn't stand a chance as Naruto used his great arm strength to shift his body, rotating himself and moving until his feet were pointed towards the man who was trying to halt his forward progression. Without hesitation Naruto's feet shot out in a buck kick that caught the man dead center in his chest. There was a loud crack, followed by a woosh of air, then a scream as the man was sent flying back words. He crashed through the window and quickly plummeted to the ground below.

Naruto breathed in and out slowly as he stood up straight and began clapping imaginary dust off his hands. "And that's that," he said.

"Sugoi..."

"Hmm?" Naruto turned around and almost shouted in surprise as he saw Lala's face right next to his. There was an awed look in her face and he could even see stars shining in her eyes. Having not seen a look quite that impressed in a long time, the blond actually felt himself blush a bit.

"That was so cool!" Lala exclaimed. "The way you handled those two was amazing. You were all pa! And pow! And they went whoosh!" her exclamations and sound affects were followed by wild hand gestures made to look like mock punches, followed at the end by her waving her arms to show how the two men he defeated were sent sailing.

"Eh he he, that was nothing," Naruto said with a grin. He quickly got his mind back on track. Getting the first thing he needed done, he opened a drawer in his dresser and dressed himself in a basic pair of black pajama bottoms and an orange tank top. As he dressed, he continued speaking, "I've been trained in combat since I was six, some loser wannabe Yakuza aren't going to be a threat to me. Huh?" he paused in his self-admittedly arrogant praise when his eyes caught sight of a green, blinking light. It was connected to a device that looked like a small tube.

Picking it up he held the thing to his eyes and looked it over. "What's this?" he wondered out loud.

"Oh! That's a tracking device!" Lala explained helpfully. "It's used to track other people's location in case they get lost."

"Which means that more people like those Yakuza guys will be coming soon," Naruto reasoned to himself. He sighed. "I don't want to make any more of a mess of my room then I already have. Looks like we're going to have to leave so I can find a more suitable location to fight."

"Huh?" Lala looked at him with innocent curiosity as he moved over to her. Curiosity was replaced when Naruto scooped her into his arms, which elicited a surprised squeal from the pink-haired female.

"Naruto?"

"Sorry for this," the blond said as he hopped out of the window and onto an adjacent rooftop. "But I want to move fast. It will be easier this way."

Without further ado he quickly began hopping from roof to roof, moving at a pace that no human could match.

Unseen by him, Rito and Haruna, who had both managed to escape from his imprisonment of them saw the blond before he sped off.

"Was that, Naruto?" asked Haruna in surprise.

Rito blinked before turning to his new girlfriend. "I... think so..." They both turned back to where Naruto had been to see that he wasn't there anymore. Both of them wondered if they might have just imagined him standing there with a pink haired female in his arms.

After all, people just didn't disappear like that.

Right?

* * *

><p>As Naruto carried her bridal style while jumping across the rooftops, Lala found herself looking at the blond's determined features. "Why? Why are you helping me so much?" asked Lala.<p>

While Naruto didn't turn his head to look at her, his eyes roved down to stare into hers. He didn't even break his stride as he said, "I said I'd help you, didn't I? Once I say I'll do something, I never go back on my word."

"But now you're being chased because of me," Lala countered. "So why?"

"That's a dumb question," Naruto said, winking at Lala to let her know he wasn't saying it to be harmful. "Your in some kind of trouble, that's why. What kind of person would I be if I just left you to these people, when I know that I have the ability to help. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to be the kind of guy who would just leave someone like you high and dry because I didn't want to get my hands dirty."

Lala's eyes widened. "Naruto..."

Naruto reached the end of the line of houses a few seconds later. Pushing off the edge he jumped, reaching past the wall and landing in a crouch. Utilizing the kinetic energy from the impact he sprung forward in a burst of speed and made his way into the park. He stopped, looked around for a moment, then nodded.

"This looks like as good a place as any," he said to himself as he set Lala back on her feet.

"A good place for what?" asked Lala.

Naruto grinned at her. "Why, to make my grand stand of course. While my hits were pretty hard it shouldn't have done any serious damage beyond busting a few teeth and ribs. Those guys aren't weak enough to be anything more then dazed by my attacks. They'll be coming soon. And we can't run forever. So I need an open space in order to use more of my fighting potential. I may be a little rusty, but my skills should be more then enough to deal with goons like them."

"Such confidence," came a voice that resounded through out the clearing.

Naruto's eyes widened as his body acted on it's own, sliding into a fighting position as he pushed Lala behind him. It didn't take long for him to spot the most likely source of the voice, a large UFO floating above his head with thousands of blinking lights on the underside. It was so bright it was a wonder no one had seen it yet.

A beam of light shot out from the center and hit the ground a few meters away. Seconds later a large man with white hair and odd segment armor and a red cape. At the same time the two men Naruto had previously downed ran up and stepped on either side of the man who floated down from the beam of light. The blond was pleased to see they both looked to be in pain, judging from the way they grimaced every few seconds, or rubbed the spot where he had hit them.

"Look at that armor," Naruto murmured to himself. "I feel like I've stepped into some kind of fantasy, mid evil anime or something. Man, the author must have been smoking some serious shit to cook up this guy."

"Zastin!" exclaimed Lala in surprise.

The man looked at Naruto who simply glared back in his crouched down position. "Move aside, Earthling. This has nothing to do with you. You don't want to get involved in our affairs."

"Oh I don't know about that," Naruto replied nonchalantly. It was in complete contrast with his face, which held one of those 'if looks could kill' expressions. "I've been getting pretty bored recently. Who knows, maybe a little excitement will help get the blood pumping. Besides, I already promised myself that I would help Lala in any way I can. That includes protecting her from you people."

The man, Zastin, Lala had called him, raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know what's going on here, Earthling. I'll only give you one more warning. Stand aside."

"Then why don't you fill me in," Naruto said. He moved, carefully placing himself directly between Lala and Zastin and his two thugs.

"Lala-Sama has run away from home," Zastin told him. "This is the sixth time she's done so. Now, stand aside. It's time for her to return home."

"I'm not going!" Lala shouted. "Successor or not I'm sick and tired of having to sit through arranged marriage meetings everyday."

"What you want doesn't matter. This is your father's wish. Now come here. We're going home."

"I don't think so," Naruto said. He absently lamented not thinking about grabbing his weapons scrolls. As thing were he would have to rely on hand to hand combat. He briefly thought about using jutsu, but if these men really were just trying to bring her home then killing them was out of the question. "You want her, then you'll have to come through me."

Zastin eyed the blond for a few seconds, noting the fierce and warrior like expression. "Very well," he said at last, pulling out what looked like the hilt of a sword from his waist. Naruto had to hold in his surprise when the hilt ignited in a flash of green light. He took another moment to curse, wishing he had brought the Raijen no Ken to combat this new energy sword. "I will not be held accountable if you die."

Naruto snorted, "you don't honestly think I'll be that easy to kill, do you? Looks like I need to teach you a lesson in manners."

"Naruto-kun," Lala said, tugging on his shirt.

"Don't worry, Lala," Naruto said without taking his eyes of Zastin. "I have no intention of letting them near you."

"That's not what I wanted to talk about," Lala said. "You don't have to fight. Please let me deal with this."

Hearing her words the blond spared his pink-haired companion a glance. "How?"

"Like this," Lala said as she took out what Naruto at first thought was a mobile phone from... somewhere, he had long stopped trying to figure out how each girl seemed to have their own pocket space for housing random items.

"Transfer! Go go Vacuum-kun!" A bright purple cone of light shot out from what was decidedly not a phone. Several feet in the air above them orange matter materialized in the air. The strange substance coagulated together, forming a shape which soon took a more solid appearance.

It looked like some kind of metal octopus and Naruto recognized it as one of Lala's many inventions just from that simple observation.

"Oh crap! It's one of Lala-Sama's inventions!" shouted one of the thugs. Said invention turned around, showing them a pair of glowing yellow eyes and a tube-like mouth. Several metal panels slid apart to reveal a whole in the mouth.

"Take this! Suck them up!" shouted Lala. Following it's creators instructions the metal monstrosity began sucking up everything in sight with it's hose-like mouth. The air seemed to swirl in a cone shape that expanded outwards the further it got from the robot, sucking in everything from dirt to trees to the people Lala had targeted. It seemed to have some trouble with Zastin's armor, as the man got stuck with his feet sticking out of the things mouth, kicking and wiggling in an attempt to get out. However, soon enough the armored man was sucked inside of the robot.

Naruto sighed, thinking the excitement had ended for the day. This changed when he noticed the creature was still sucking up everything in sight, including sign posts, trees, the playground equipment, it even tried to consume him. Thankfully a small application of chakra to his feet helped ground him, but if the way the gravel was sliding forward the ground itself wouldn't hold for long.

"Lala!" he shouted, looking at the girl as she floated several feet above the robot. "Turn this thing off!"

"Hmm..." Lala placed a hand under her chin and adopted a thoughtful pose.

"Is something wrong, Lala-Sama?" asked Peke.

"This thing... how do I turn it off?"

"What!" shouted Naruto in disbelief. "You mean to tell me you created this thing but don't know how to turn it off!"

Lala looked over at Naruto and laughed as a sheepish expression crossed her face. "Well I made this so long ago that I know longer remember how to shut it off."

Naruto groaned. "Then I guess I need to take it out. But how to that when there are people inside is the question."

Whatever he decided Naruto knew it would have to be quick. He could feel the ground giving way under him, it wouldn't be long now before he was sucked into that thing as well.

"Alright, here we go!" Naruto shouted as he began doing something he hadn't done in several hundred years. His hands sped through a series of seals, their movements a little rusty and slow but still faster then any other human alive could possibly accomplish. He ended them on a monkey seal.

"Raiton: Raikyuu!" A large ball of sparking lightning generated directly in front of Naruto. Its form wavering as lightning arched in and out of the jutsu. Before long it solidified, becoming a bright blue ball of lightning, which was soon launched at the out of control robot. It struck the metal creation right between the eyes, exploding on contact. Rather then release a large gout of flame, sparks of electricity coursed over the things metal hull. The robot shuddered and spasmed as it small explosions took place on certain areas like the exhaust vents, which soon began smoking. It's tails flailed wildly for several seconds in what could almost be construed as pain, were it not for the fact that the thing was not alive. It released one final spasm before it's eyes dimmed and it fell to the floor with a loud crash.

"Haaa! Whew!" Naruto said whistling and sighing at the same time. He stood up on his toes and stretched his hands above his head. "It's been a long time since I've been forced to pull out any jutsu. I'm almost surprised I still remember the hand seals."

"Naruto-kun!"

"Huh?" Naruto turned around to see Lala float down next to him, her feet daintily touching the ground. She rushed over to him, stopping when she got directly in front of him.

"That was so cool!" She started, giving him a big smile. "I didn't know Earthlings were able to use any kind of magic!"

"They can't," Naruto admitted. "I just happen to be a special case. No other Earthling would be able to do something like what I did."

"Ah! Sugoi!"

Naruto scratched the back of his head with a sheepish expression. Hearing someone praise him in such an awed voice was nice, but for some reason he felt immensely embarrassed.

Just as he opened his mouth in an effort to say something cool, his eyes widened as he noticed the destruction that Lala's machine had caused. It looked like a war zone, everywhere he looked were large gout's where trees or playground structures had been ripped out of the ground. There was quite literally nothing left of the playground.

As he stared at the scene of devastation, Naruto had just one thing to say. "I am so not paying for this."

* * *

><p><strong>Here we are, the first of many challenges. I have yet to see Naruto and To-Love-Rue but have always wondered what it would be like if the two stories were combined. As you can see the first chapter is already done for you, though if you wish you may choose to redo the chapter yourself. Now there are several requirements that need to be done:<strong>

**1. Because Naruto is a different person then Rito, he deals with problems differently, and tends to have different problems all together. A good example of this would be Lala, Naruto, unlike Rito does not have a girl he is in love with, and while he might not be thrilled with marrying Lala he also won't shove her away because of that.**

**2. YOU CAN NOT USE EPISODES FROM THE ANIME OR MANGA IN THIS STORY! All content MUST be more or less original. The first chapter was an exception because there was really no other way to start this story, and even then it was different with the only similarity being Lala ended up in a bathtub naked and ended up using her vacuum robot. Even then it was with Naruto and not Rito.**

**What this means is that you can't take the second episode and supplant Naruto into all of Rito's dialogue and action sequences. As stated in requirement 1, Naruto is fundamentally different then Rito. Therefore, it stands to reason that the things he does will be different then the anime. Several good examples would be:**

**Example Ichi: How Naruto deals with assassins and Lala's fiancee's. Unlike Rito, who is more or less helpless and wants nothing to do with Lala but is forced to act because he's a kind person, Naruto has no trouble dishing out an ass kicking to people who threaten him or Lala (The exception being girls who try to break him and Lala up). **

**Example Nii: In episode two when Lala comes to school and claims to be Rito's fiancee, the male population gets angry and tried to beat the crap out of Rito, resulting in an embarrassing situation of Haruna seeing him naked with Lala. That would not happen with Naruto. As stated in chapter one, he is already hated by the male population, but they are afraid of him due to his strength and athletic ability. The problem he would come into would be the female population, who adore him and want his babies (think of every girl that loved Sasuke during his academy days and you'll understand). That means his problems would come MOSTLY from girls trying to break up and/or humiliate him and Lala.**

**3. The main pairing is Naruto/Lala, and Rito/Haruna. I do not care if Naruto ends up getting a harem, but these two pairings must be there!**

** 4. This story must focus more on character development then anything else, meaning Naruto's budding relationship with Lala and whatever other girl you may decide to add, and Rito's one with Haruna (as a minor pairing).**

**5. Naruto is HUMAN! I can not stress this enough, but Naruto is not a demon, just a human who gained immortality. That means that you CANNOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES USE THE "BITE THIS CHICK WHILE HAVING SEX AND GIVE HER A MATING MARK" PLOT DEVICE! While that plot is usable in certain circumstances, it is not in this story.**

**6. Following requirement 5, you must find a suitable way of dealing with Naruto's immortality, either through having Deviluke's being immortal when they reach maturity or some other means. However, it must be feasible and realistic within the constraints of the anime's reality.**

**That's all for the requirements. Good luck and have fun!**


	3. Naruto and Sekirei

**Sekirei and Naruto crossover idea.**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki, a man whose legend has been lost to the sounds of time gets caught up in a game where the winner can ascend to the skies above. It all started on an unfortunate incident in which he ended up getting hit with a girl who ended up falling from the sky.**

**XoX**

"**Now arriving in Shinto Teito, Japan. All passengers please exit in an orderly fashion and have a great day."**

Walking out of a small train that had just entered one of the many stations located in Tokyo, or recently renamed Shinto Teito, Japan, was a young looking man. This man looked to be around the age of eighteen and was fairly tall, standing at around six foot four, with shoulder length, spiky blond hair with two jaw length bangs framing his face and a fringe that overshadowed a pair of cerulean blue eyes. The oddest thing about this young man were the three whisker marks that ran horizontally across each cheek, they were his most defining mark and often drew the most attention, especially from kids eight and under and females of all ages. He was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and black boots, a formfitting white sleeveless t-shirt, a black sleeveless haori with a hood, a pair of black fingerless gloves and an armband with the symbol of a leaf on a metal plate wrapped around his left bicep.

He received many odd looks, both because even though he was technically from this region he didn't look Japanese at all, as well as because of the haori since it was still pretty warm outside and most people simply didn't wear clothes like that now a days. Not that the looks he received would cause him to change the style he had been wearing for most of his life.

As the whiskered blond walked around the city, his eyes never stopped moving. "Haa... Tokyo, Japan. While I love traveling the world, for some reason it's this city that always feels more like home, no matter how many changes this place goes through. Now, let's see how much this place has changed in the last one hundred or so years."

**XoX**

"Guh, man this place has changed so much," the blond male complained as he got off another tram, this one leading further into the city. He had been walking and riding trains for the past two hours and still had yet to get a good feel for the place. "Man, it looks like they changed the entire layout of this city. Now how I am going to find my publisher if I can't even find out where I am?"

He looked around at the large skyscrapers which seemed to tower over the city, with one large one in the center. It was a large clock tower style skyscraper, and had to be a newer addition because he had never seen it before. The streets were busy, with hundreds of moving along them, or stopped up in traffic. The people walking down the sidewalks. It was a lot busier then he had remembered last time he had been there.

"And in other breaking news, Hiroto Minaka, the President of the giant conglomerate M.B.I. has bought up eighty percent of all Shinto Teito stalks..." Naruto looked up at the screen when he heard the announcement to see a man with white messy hair, glasses and a high-collared cape? Of some kind sitting in a high backed chair. The man looked like he was trying to pose as some kind of king with the way he was seated.

"Phe, that guy looks like a complete douche-bag," Naruto muttered as he decided to ignore the rest of the news report, having deemed it as unimportant.

It's not like knowing who was trying to take over the city would help him find his publisher.

"A company that has enough power to buy out the capital of Japan, huh. Reminds me of that slime bag, Gato," Naruto mumbled with a frown. That wasn't a pleasant thought, especially since he hated being reminded of the past. But these days, just about everything made him think of his life before it all went to hell. That's simply the way things were, and he had long since learned to deal with it.

As he continued walking past the many people heading in the opposite direction of him, the blond pulled out several cards from his pocket. Each one was an ID car with his picture on it, but held different information about him. "Let's see now, who should I be this time. Namikaze Minato? No, I used that last time. Gamasatsu Jiraiya? No, I don't really feel like being that perv. How about, Nara Shikamaru? Naw, lazy ass isn't my style. Hmmm... Uzumaki Naruto. I haven't used that one in a while, at least a few centuries so it should be ok. Yeah, let's go with that, the original has always been my favorite anyways."

Pocketing the other ID cards Naruto placed the one he was planning on using in his wallet. "Now I just need to find that –" he was cut off when he accidentally bumped into one of the people around him when turning the corner, knocking them down. It was a young man with black hair and eyes who had been mumbling about 'failing twice' and 'entrance exams' or some such nonsense.

"Sorry about that," the blond said as he held his hand out to the kid. The other guy rubbed his backside before looking up. The blond blinked when he got a good look at the kids face – it was the kind of nondescript 'I've got nothing going in my life face' that some of the younger generation seemed to posses now a days – before breaking into a sheepish smile. "You ok?"

"Er... no, no, it's alright, I should have watched where I was going," the teen said. He looked at the hand before taking it and allowing the blond to pull him up.

"I suppose we'll just say we should both be more careful," the blond replied. "Anyways, good luck on your next entrance exams."

"What! How did you know about my entrance exams!" asked the kid in surprise.

The blond sweat dropped. "You were just talking out loud about failing your entrance exams twice."

"Oh..." the black haired kid looked embarrassed.

"Anyways, take more care to watch your surroundings."

"Right."

"AH! Get out of the way please!"

Acting on instinct Naruto pushed the kid out of the way when he heard the shout, using enough strength that the boy was sent flying several feet back. Looking up the blond had just enough time to see that the girl falling before him was brunette and had extremely large breasts, right before she smashed into his stomach with enough force to send him crashing into the ground and creating a decently sized crater.

"Ugh... what the... fuck...?" Naruto blinked as he saw a well rounded and shapely ass clad in white panties. "While I don't like getting smashed into the ground, I can't deny that this is a nice way to make up for falling on me." The girl didn't seem to hear him because she just groaned. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Ow... I should have known that building was way to high to jump off of..." The girl mumbled as she crawled off of him. Now that Naruto got a better look at her he saw that she was a well-endowed young woman with short, brown hair and a well developed body figure. She was wearing an interesting set of clothing that looked like something he would expect from a manga. It consisted of a short red skirt and upper clothes that resemble the traditional clothing worn by the miko. She was also wearing a pair of red gloves that looked like they were used for battle. However, it was her chest that really got his attention.

_'Dear kami. I think those breasts are bigger then Baa-chan's and Samui-chan's!' _were the first thoughts of Naruto as he got his first up close glimpse of the large endowments the girl had. He had to wonder if breasts that size were even natural now a days.

The girl turned around and Naruto got to see a face that looked way too cute and innocent to be considered legal. "Oh, you're the person who caught me, aren't you? Thank you very much," she said with a smile.

Naruto gave her a grin. "It was no trouble," he waved off her thanks. "I would hate to think of what might have happened if you had actually hit the pavement coming down as hard as you were. Are you alright?"

"Uh yes, I think I'm alright," the girl said. Just then Naruto's sixth sense became blaring around the same time the girls seemed to.

"Watch out!" she shouted as she pushed herself onto him, just in time to avoid a blast of electricity. Naruto flipped them around as the flew slightly through the air, landing on his feet and catching Musubi, who he put down a second later to prepare for their attackers.

_'I can definitely rule out the possibility that that was ordinary electricity,'_ Naruto thought with narrowed eyes. He looked up to see two beautiful women – twins from the looks of them – in leather bondage costumes. _'I think I did just step into some kind of manga. Dominatrix twins that can shoot lightning... great, I thought I stopped dealing with violent women after Sakura-chan...'_

"You can run all you want, but nothing will come of it," the one of the left said. Naruto absently noted that her breasts were the larger of the pair.

"So just fight us and we'll get this over with quickly," the other one said.

"I can't! At least, not right now!" the brunette that had run into him said.

"That's too bad, because we're not stopping until we defeat you." Electricity began to form on the two girls hands.

"Oh... this just sucks," Naruto muttered to himself. Though he remained nonchalant his mind was a whirlwind of activity. _'I can feel the chakra flowing through them, but that shouldn't be possible. Humans have long since lost the ability to use chakra and that's definitely no jutsu...'_

"Sorry, but I don't want to fight right now!" Naruto didn't have much more time to complete his thoughts because the girl who had fallen on him grabbed his hand and began running. Of course, running would be a relative term in this instance. Where most people ran at what could normally be considered as a light jog, the girl that had grabbed his hand took off at such insane speeds that Naruto found his feet pulled off the ground and he was more or less flying behind the girl as the feeling of his arm being ripped off at the sockets came over him. He was actually so surprised by her speed that he didn't even bother to stop her as she rushed through the city like a bullet.

When they finally stopped Naruto rubbed his sore shoulder. "Oh wow, I don't think I've been dragged around town that fast since Anko-chan demanded I buy her dango." He looked over at the girl and smiled. "So, not that I mind being dragged behind such a beautiful woman, but care to share why you just decided to drag me with you?"

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" the girl apologized. "I don't really know why I dragged you along with me, I just sort of put your hand in mine and took off without even thinking. Please forgive me!"

"Haha, it's alright," Naruto said with a laugh. "Life was getting boring anyways, so I suppose I should be thanking you for giving me some form of excitement. By the way, my name Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto."

"And I'm Musubi," the girl said with a very formal bow. Placing her hands in front of her. This however, had the added effect of making her breasts push themselves together. Naruto found himself unconsciously licking his lips as he stared at the two melons on her, before shaking his head and snapping his attention to her face.

"Musubi, huh? That's a beautiful name," Naruto said with a grin.

The girl looked immensely happy by Naruto's compliment. She gave him a bright smile and bowed. "Why thank you! I think Naruto is a nice name as well."

"Well you would be the first one to eve think so," Naruto said with a laugh. "Even most people here in Japan think my names a little odd." Absently he wondered what the last name he used when he came into Japan was, before shrugging the thought off as inconsequential.

"Well I like it," Musubi said, smiling at him. "Thank you for what you did back there. It was extremely brave of you to to help me out."

"Ma, ma, there's no need to thank me. I didn't really do anything to be honest. But you're welcome all the same." Naruto looked at the girl for a second, collecting his thoughts. He was just about to ask the girl why those other two were attacking her when she began to fall over. "Uh oh," Naruto acted quickly, moving towards her and scooping her up in his arms.

The blond looked at the sleeping girl and sighed. "Well, now what are you going do to, Naruto?" He asked himself, _'the first thing I need to do is find a place to stay, a hotel or something, at least for the night.'_ He could worry about getting a more permanent residence after tomorrow when he went apartment hunting. Right now taking care of Musubi was more important. He had never turned away someone in need, and he wouldn't start now.

His decision made Naruto looked around to make sure no one was in sight, tensed his legs, and disappeared.

**XoX**

Musubi woke up the next day. Yawning a little she looked around to see that she was in a small hotel room. She was laying in a futon, and there was another futon next to hers that was ruffled and looked like someone had just gotten out of bed. She didn't feel like she was in any danger, but she was curious to know where she was and how she had gotten there.

As she was continuing her observations of the room Naruto entered through a door on her left. Seeing her up the blond smiled and said, "good morning, Musubi-chan! Did you sleep well?"

"I did!" Musubi replied cheerfully. A confused look then crossed her face as she looked around. "Um... where are we?"

"Just a hotel room I managed to secure for us for the night," Naruto said as he walked over to her and sat down on his knees. "I didn't want to spend hours searching for an apartment while you were unconscious."

"Thank you so much, Naruto-Sama!" Musubi gave him a cheerful smile. "You really saved me back there!"

Naruto chuckled at the girls enthusiasm – though he wondered about the sama suffix – he hadn't met girl quite as gung-ho as she seemed to be. "Your welcome now..." He blinked for a moment, turning his head towards the door he came out of while Musubi looked at him curiously, wondering is something was wrong. A second later he smiled and said, "you must be hungry by now. Am I right?"

As if in answer to his words Musubi's stomach rumbled, that is, if having what sounded like a roaring dinosaur shake the room they were in a rumble.

Musubi's eyes grew really large as a puppy dog like look came to her face. It was quite easily the most adorable thing he had ever seen. Not even Ino had been able to make a face that pitiful. "Yes."

Naruto bit his lower lip to keep from laughing, _'I guess the infamous puppy dog eyes jutsu really is an instinctive technique for females.'_

Standing up he gave the girl a grin and said, "I'm glad to see you're hungry, otherwise all that hard work I spent making breakfast would have just gone to waist."

It hadn't seemed possible, but if anything Musubi's eyes grew even wider and her mouth began to water. "Breakfast?" she asked in a voice that sounded like someone who had been dying of thirst just found a hidden oasis.

"That's right," the whiskered blond looked at her with some form of amusement. "Just wait right here and I'll bring you you're breakfast." With a jaunty whistle Naruto walked into the small kitchen and looked at the food that had been prepared. It was rather modest all things considered, consisting of several slices of french toast, a dozen or so pancakes, bacon, sausages and orange juice. Well, at least it was a modest meal to Naruto since he was sharing it with another person.

"I wonder if I should have made more," He sighed. "Then again, I couldn't get very many ingredients yesterday because I haven't been able to go to a bank and get my money so this was all I could afford." And he still didn't even know where his bank was so all he was left with was the money he had been able to exchange before coming to Japan. Unfortunately there was nothing he could do about that, there were simply steps he would need to take before he could even consider finding his bank.

First on that list was feeding himself and Musubi. He put the food he made on two trays, picked them up and walked back into the room where his brunette... _'come to think of it, what is Musubi to me?'_ he wondered as he set the food down in front of said girl, who elicited a squeal of delight as she saw all of the food piled on it.

Musubi immediately began consuming the food at a pace that would have put Choji to shame. Having long since learned table manners from the various precious people he had known so long ago, the blond ate at a slower pace so that his mind could wander. _'I've only known her for a few hours tops, yet... I feel something for this girl. I suppose it could just be the by product of having not had very much human contact for a long time, living in solitude for god knows how long would do that to a guy. And yet... I can't help but feel it's not just that. There's something about her that makes me feel emotions I haven't felt a long... long time.'_

It was just as his train of thought was ending that Musubi finished her breakfast. She looked at Naruto as her eyes once again got big, and this time tears seemed to be leaking out of the corner of them. Noticing this, the whiskered blond looked at her and tried his best to suppress a shudder. "Yes?"

"Oh Naruto-Sama... thank you so much," she said in an overly emotional voice. "I owe you everything. Not only did you save me but you gave me food too." Naruto sweat dropped. It was like she had never been shown kindness, or was just not used to people being so nice. Or she could just be naïve.

Shaking the thoughts off he smiled and waved off her thanks. "Don't mention, I was more then happy to help you. Personally, I believe that if you have the power to help someone in need, then you should. There's not much purpose for having the power to help others if you don't even use it, you know?"

Musubi looked at Naruto, eyes wide in respect. "That has to be the most incredible thing I've ever heard anybody say."

"Uh... hehe, well, it's just something of a personal motto I live by," Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head as he gave a sheepish laugh. The look of utter respect he was getting was actually making the blond feel kind of embarrassed.

"Hey, Naruto-Sama," Musubi said, making said blond blink.

"Yes?"

"I uh... I know I've already imposed on you quite a bit, but I have another favor I would like to ask you," she said, wringing her hands nervously in her lap.

In attempt to reassure the girl, Naruto gave her a kind smile. "Whatever you need help with just tell me and I shall do my utmost to help you out."

"Really!" Musubi looked at him and smiled. "In that case, I was hoping I could stay here with you. You see, I don't have any place to stay so I was hoping you would let me at least stay the night."

"Of course I'll let you stay with me," Naruto said with a smile. He didn't fully understand why he was willing to help this girl out so much. _'Well, that might not be one hundred percent true,'_ he thought to himself. The blond knew he had a superman complex the size of Asia, he rarely ever refused help to someone, and the few times he did were only because those people had malignant auras around them. This girl had the purest one he had ever seen. _'Could that be why? Or is there something more to my desire to help her?'_

Then he blinked as he remembered something. "Though I only rented this hotel room out for one night, so unfortunately we're going to need to find a more permanent place of residence. But once we find a place to live, you can stay with me as long as you want." If Naruto were honest with himself he would admit to being lonely. The thought of having such a beautiful and kind, if a bit naïve, girl spending time with him was nice.

"Thank you so much Naruto, you've saved me once again," Musubi said with a smile.

Naruto chuckled a little. "Think nothing of it. Though that does remind me, why were those girls..." he trailed of as Musubi got on her hands and knees and crawled over to him. His eyes found themselves focusing first on her face, a stunning and expressive face that held a look of such innocence it only added to her already attractive features. Then they slid down to her breast, large and dangling breast which Naruto was sure were quite possible larger then Tsunade's. Finally, his eyes slid down her back, to the shapely rear and the mile long legs attached to it. He hadn't met a girl this attractive in a very long time.

_'Dear kami, I really am a pervert. Ero-sennin did say the way of the perv would eventually be too strong to resist, and I guess he was right. I wonder if this is a result of having continued his legacy as a means of providing extra cash.'_

His eyes moved back to Musubi's face, which had closed the distance towards him with a light blush staining her cheeks. "You're such a wonderful person. You're so kind and giving," she said in a voice that could only be described as awe.

_'I wonder if you'd still be saying that if you knew that my hands are stained in so much blood I can no longer see them,'_ Naruto thought to himself. It was a depressing thought, and one he didn't want to contemplate.

"I just wish someone like you could be my Ashikabi."

"Hmmm?" Naruto blinked at the phrase. It sounded like a title but he had never heard it before. "What's an Ashikabi?"

"The special person I'm supposed to find," Musubi said. She took one of his hands in both of her own, with Naruto letting her, having not sensed any ill intent and curious to know what she was talking about. "I've been looking for mine for so long. Even though we've never met, our Ashikabi is the one we are meant to serve. It's our job to guide them to the higher sky above."

As she said this Musubi placed his hand on her chest. Naruto was about to crack a joke at propriety, even though he was almost sure this girl was too naïve to understand, when they both felt something hit them.

_'What is this?'_ Naruto asked himself as his eyes widened. _'I feel... warm. Secure, almost. I haven't felt like this since...'_ he shook his head and pulled his hand off of her. Breathing heavily he stood up and shook his head, attempting to dispel the feeling. _'It was like her chakra had overlapped mine with positive emotions and intent. I've never felt something like that, ever.'_

"Anyways, since your done with breakfast why don't you go and get washed up. This place unfortunately doesn't have a bath, but it does have a shower. Then get dressed and meet me in the kitchen ok?"

"Okay!" Musubi said cheerfully as she ran into the bath room. However, despite her cheerful demeanor she was wondering about the same thing he was.

_'What was that heat I was feeling in my chest just now?'_

**XoX**

Naruto and Musubi found themselves walking along the road as they searched for a place to live. It was very difficult, as the blond had just found out that the banking company he used in this particular city had been bought out by M.B.I., and as he had no desire to expose himself to such a large company he would have to take more precautions when going to extract his money.

This created a problem with the fact that unless he had a source of income and enough cash on hand to make a down payment, no one was willing to give them a place to live. This issue was compounded with the fact that Naruto didn't have a job. Technically. He was a writer, having decided to continue his godfather's legacy. But because he used a pen name, and refused to let others know who the real author was – it would have caused problems since his books have been around for several millenia – he was unable to say he held a job.

"Haa..." Naruto sighed as he and Musubi walked out of another place that had refused to grant him an apartment due to his lack of a job. "Sorry it's taking so long to find a place, Musubi-chan."

"There's no need to apologize," Musubi said with a smile. "If anything I'm grateful to you for being with me and being willing to help me. I've spent all my time alone, trying to find my Akishabi that I haven't gotten to speak with too many people."

"In that case I'm glad your here as well," Naruto grinned at the girl. "I've been alone for quite a while to so having someone keep me company is nice. Especially when it's such a beautiful girl that I'm finding myself with."

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?" asked Musubi, pressing her hands to her cheeks as she smiled at him. It was a much different reaction then what he was used to. Most girls blushed, Musubi was just happy to receive a compliment.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it," Naruto replied with a shrug. They walked along for a few more second before Musubi grabbed his shirt to stop him. She pressed herself against him and the blond could feel her assets pushing themselves into his chest. Had he been a less experienced man he would have gulped.

"Naruto-Sama..."

He looked down at the girl and felt his hands begin to circle around her waist. Despite having just met her, the blond wasn't gay and having someone like Musubi pressing themselves into his side was having an effect that he couldn't help but respond to. "Yes?"

Musubi looked up at him, her eyes once again wide and watery as she looked at him. "I'm really hungry again."

**XoX**

It was an hour later that despairing Naruto and a happy Musubi exited a small restaurant. After having nearly face faulted, something he would have done were it not for the fact that the brunette had still been in his arms at the time, he had taken her out to get something to eat.

"Ah! That was delicious!" Musubi said with a content and happy sigh.

"I'm glad you liked it," Naruto sniffed, anime tears pouring down his eyes as he held his now nearly empty wallet. _'I also hope that will keep you full for a good long while because I don't think I can pay for another eat-a-thon like that unless I can find that god forsaken bank,'_ he said to himself. He had always considered himself a healthy eater with a larger then normal appetite. However, this girl put him to shame, having eaten ten entrees, two main courses, and a side of dessert. She could easily out eat an Akamichi with her appetite.

_'And yet she doesn't have their girth. I wonder where she puts it all,'_ he cast an inconspicuous glance at the girls breasts, which jiggled each time she made even the slightest movements. They were looking a tad larger then before she ate...

"Naruto-Sama, since you took me out to lunch and made me breakfast, why don't you allow me to make you dinner tonight?" said Musubi, snapping the blond out of his thoughts.

He looked over at her with a curious glance. "Dinner?"

"Yeah, it will be great! I promise," she pumped her fists in the air.

"I would love that, thank you," Naruto said. He couldn't help but smile at her childlike enthusiasm, it kind of reminded him of Rock Lee, without the creepy eyebrows and youth fetish. There was also the fact that Musubi was extremely hot, but that was so obvious the blond simply felt it was not worth mentioning, even in his mind.

"But before we do that, I'm going to need to get some cash at the bank. Why don't you head over to the grocery store and I'll meet you there?" The last thing he needed was someone who might recognize Musubi and report her to Hiroto. While he still did not know what was going on, or why those lightning users were chasing her, Naruto felt being cautious might be best. After all, M.B.I. practically owned the city, and there had always been rumors of large companies committing experiments on people in order to gain super soldiers.

If those women do belong to M.B.I. then prudence was definitely warranted in this instance.

"Okay!"

Naruto watched as Musubi ran off and quickly moved in the opposite direction. It took a bit of asking around, but eventually he found the bank he had been looking for, making him curse since after hearing the directions realized he had passed it at least twice yesterday. Still, had he found the bank the other day he might not have met that interesting girl, and while he wasn't sure he had any plans on staying with her since he didn't want to grow attached, he couldn't deny that in the short time since they met she had made his life interesting.

He took a sharp turn down an abandoned alley. After making sure he was alone, the blond brought his hands into a hand sign. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu," he muttered. There was a puff of smoke and when it cleared, two Naruto's could be seen standing in pace of one.

The copy that the original had just created made another hand sign and disappeared in a puff of smoke. When that cleared the person standing before Naruto was a beautiful female with blond hair, blue eyes, and a figure similar to Musubi's.

"Here," Naruto said, handing his female counterpart a fake idea with her face and the name Yamanaka Ino on it. "Go in and get several thousand yen at least, that should be enough to tide Musubi and myself over."

"Got it, boss," Naruko said in a heavenly female voice the blond had fashioned for his female self when he made the jutsu.

As the female version of himself took off Naruto sighed. "Even after so long hearing the female version of myself call me boss it's still a little creepy." His attention was snapped from his thoughts of his clone when the sound of explosions rocked the area.

Rushing outside of his alley Naruto's eyes narrowed when he saw Musubi running away from those lightning users – this time they were wearing sexy maid outfits – the blond had to shake his head at that. He truly had to wonder if he hadn't somehow stepped into some kind of manga or something.

He didn't know why she was over in this area, unless she had been looking for him, nor how those two girls found his new friend. But he knew that he had to do something. Tensing his muscles Naruto pushed off the ground, the cement under him caved, forming a small imprint of his foot as he left the spot. Speeding towards the two lightning users who were doing their utmost to fry Musubi with blast of electricity.

"Konoha Senpuu!" Naruto shouted as he spun his body around in a one hundred and eighty degree rotation. His left foot lashed out, catching one of the lightning users in the head with a round house kick. The woman let out a shout as she was sent sprawling to the ground.

"What the -!" the other one shouted before Naruto smashed twin palms into her stomach. The women let out a gasp of pain as she was sent flying backwards, landing on her flat on her back hard enough to knock the wind out of her.

Using the pairs downed state as a distraction, Naruto rushed over to Musubi, scooped her into his arms, and took off at great speeds.

"Damn him!" the woman that had gotten kicked in the head shouted. "That really hurt! Just who the hell does that guy think he is!"

"He's not a Sekirei I can tell that much," the other one said when she finally managed to catch her breath. She looked over at where the blond had taken off too, her eyes narrowing. "However, no human should be capable of reaching those speeds."

The girl holding her sore face just grunted. "Whatever, lets just find them before that girl claims him as her Ashikabi. I need to teach that fool a lesson for kicking me."

**XoX**

_'What's... happening to me?'_ Musubi looked up at Naruto as he carried her in his arms, running and dodging all the attempts the two lightning users made to hit them. _'This feeling... I feel so hot. My body feels like it's on fire.'_

"Are you alright, Musubi?" asked Naruto, his eyes flicking over to her. Seeing those blue orbs looking at her in concern caused even more heat to burst from her chest. So much so that she couldn't even answer Naruto, who swore when one of the lightning blasts came close to hitting them.

"Damn it! I need to find a way to lose them," Naruto growled as he looked behind him to see the two still after him. _'I'm impressed they can keep up with me at this speed. I wonder if their channeling lightning through their body to do it.' _He quickly shook his head, _'now's not the time to be thinking of new theories on the two chicks with strange powers. I need to lose them, but I can't use anymore speed in public. As it is I'm already pushing the boundaries of human capabilities. Then again, those two broke them with their strange light show so I guess it doesn't matter.'_

Naruto closed his eyes and reached into the wellspring of energy inside of his body. Feeling his chakra respond to his calling like an old friend, the whiskered blond began manipulating it, channeling it through his legs to strengthen them, and also to the bottom of his feet to increase his speed. The ground under him cracked as Naruto shot off like a human missile, leaving the two lightning users behind in the dust.

"Naruto-Sama..." Musubi mumbled, causing the blond to look down as he continued his running. The girls face was beat red and she was breathing much more heavily then she should be. Naruto's concern for her began to sky rocket as he couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.

"Shit! Are you alright? You look like your burning up."

"I feel... I feel so hot," Musubi said, her breathing going heavy as she looked at him through half lidded eyes. She could feel her body responding to the blond in her arms, he was making her feel such heat, yet she didn't know why.

"Right, let's find some place where you can rest for now."

Looking around Naruto made a quick detour into an alleyway. He knelt down and set Musubi on the ground. He frowned as he looked her over, pressing a hand to her forehead and eliciting a startled gasp from her. _'How odd, while she's burning up I can tell she not sick. But then the question remains, why is she so...' _the blond blinked when a honey-like scent hit his nostrils. He would admit that it had been a while since he had been in the company of anyone for more then an hour to two, much less a women's. But there was no way he could not recognize the particular scent she was emitting.

_'Is she... aroused?'_ now that he got a closer look at her Naruto could see the obvious signs of a woman who was turned on. The half-lidded eyes, the flushed cheeks, the way she was heaving for breath and the smell of her juices. All were obvious signs of a female who was highly sexually aroused. Though he had never seen anyone so severely aroused it actually hampered their ability to function, Musubi looked almost like she was going into heat.

"Naruto-Sama..." Musubi fell into him, knocking the blond over and crawled on top of him until she was straddling his waist. "Please... help me... I feel so hot. My body feels like it's burning. I've never felt this way before..."

_'Does that mean she's a virgin?'_ wondered Naruto, looking at the girl whose face was making a slow pace towards his. _'Or is something else going on? Because I know this is not normal.'_

All thoughts fled Naruto's mind when Musubi placed her mouth over his. He was surprised, but his hesitation only lasted for an instant before he began kissing back. It had not been so long since he had been with a women that he didn't know what do in this kind of situation. He applied more pressure against Musubi's soft and warm lips. His hands moved from behind him and holding him up to her waist.

He fell onto his back, taking Musubi with him as they continued to kiss. He felt her chakra flare and almost pulled back with a start when it latched onto his own signature. The only reason he didn't was because of his gut instincts telling him not to. Whatever was happening, Naruto could feel it wasn't hurting him in any way and was even helping him a little. The blond could actually feel his chakra getting just a little more powerful as a two way link seemed to open up between him and Musubi.

Perhaps more powerful wasn't quite the word. It felt more like his chakra was becoming... more then what it was. There was really no other way to describe it, the feeling was something more all-encompassing and deep then mere words could truly describe.

Musubi began glowing a light purple, the chakra forming around her in prism like rays of light. A symbol appeared on her back and began to project itself outwards in a physical manifestation of energy. The symbol was of a bird with a yin and yang circle under it and two tomoes on either side, making that four total. With the the yin and yang crest they formed a U with the tomoes under the bird. From the projected symbol ten wings spread out from her back.

The light soon began to fade, the wings disappeared, the symbol made from energy vanished, and all that was left were Naruto and Musubi, still kissing in the alley. When they broke the kiss Musubi's and Naruto's eyes fluttered open and they stared at each other. Naruto's left hand came over and cupped the brunette's face, causing the girl to instinctively lean into his touch.

"What just happened?" asked Naruto, confused. He had never felt something like this, a connection so profound he could actually feel Musubi in an almost spiritual sense.

Musubi closed her eyes as she smiled at him in an expression that radiated sheer joy, the kind of which Naruto had never seen on another person before. It made his heart actually begin beating that much faster. "You've just become my Ashikabi-Sama."

**XoX**

"I can't... believe... we lost them..." one of the girls huffed. The two of them were currently on their knees as they tried to regain their breath. Both had continued chasing after the strange human that had somehow just blasted away from them faster then either of them had ever thought possible. Both had been stunned by the mans speed, but not enough to give up the chase. It was fortuitous for them that the man had left a trail in the form of foot indentations on the concrete. They had been able to follow that, only to reach an empty alleyway where the trail ended.

"Shut up... Hikari..." the other one said. "I just... want to know how a mere... mere human can move so fast..."

"Who cares?" growled Hikari, finally regaining her breath. "Now that we've lost her again who knows how long it will take us to find her."

"It wouldn't matter even if you two did find her," a voice said behind them. Both of the female Sekirei whirled around to find themselves staring at a masked man with shock white hair and outfitted with a black coat and face mask.

"Homura!" Hikari growled. "What do you want?"

"I just thought it would be a good idea to inform you that the girl now has an Ashikabi."

"Then... that boy winged her?" Hikari said. "Damn it! And you were watching us the whole time, weren't you?"

"It is my job to be the guardian for unwinged Sekirei," Homura said. "You should know that by now. Perhaps I should teach you two a lesson."

"If it's a fight your looking for Homura then I'll give it to you!" the twin with the larger bust size shouted.

"Are you mad, Hibiki!" hissed Hikari as she grabbed her sisters arm. "Do you remember what happened the last time we fought him?" Despite herself Hibiki gulped as flames encased the white haired Sekirei's hand.

"Your lucky that girl found her Ashikabi, as I have no interest in fights between winged Sekirei. So I'll let you off, for now," Homura said as the flames dispersed and he began walking away.

The two twins looked at each other as the white haired male left, both giving an internal sigh of relief.

**XoX**

Later that night Naruto found himself sitting at a small table in the same hotel room as before, since they had been unable to find an apartment with all the excitement that had happened today. As he sat there the blond took his time admiring Musubi as she cooked food wearing nothing more then a pair of panties and one of his shirts. This was due to the fact that her clothing had been ruined during the girls flight from the two lightning users before he had gotten to her. Not that he could find it in himself to complain, it had been a while since he had such a beautiful female in his presence in such a way.

Musubi on the other hand was humming a happy tune, pleased to know that she had finally found her Ashikabi and such an amazing one at that. She couldn't help but think of how lucky she was, the blond was so kindhearted and strong. He had even protected her from those two other Serkirei, though she had no idea how he had been able to run so fast. Smiling at where her thoughts were taking her the brunette looked down at the food she was preparing.

"Dinner will be ready in just a little while," she informed Naruto before going back to her cooking.

"Alright," Naruto said, "thank you for doing this by the way."

"Oh don't worry about it, Naruto-Sama," Musubi looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "You're my Ashikabi. I'm more then happy to do this for you."

As she went back to her cooking Naruto frowned. _'I'm still not even one hundred percent sure what this whole Sekirei, Ashikabi business is. From what I've seen they have abilities above that of what humans have now a days. While I've only met three so far, none of them seem capable of defeating any of the stronger ninja in my day.' _He looked at Musubi and smiled. _'Granted, she has potential. Her reserves on par with that of an average jonin, with a little training she could be very strong.'_

Just then Naruto's cell phone began ringing. Pulling out his phone, one of the few touch screens that had been recently released to the market, he flipped it open and pressed the accept call button. The screen blanked before the image of Minako appeared on it. Before the whiskered blond even had a chance to ask the man how the hell he received this number, the president of M.B.I. spoke up. "Congratulations young man, you've just become the Ashikabi for a Sekirei!"

"How the hell did you manage to get this number?" asked Naruto, interrupting whatever the man was about to say.

"Oh that, getting a number is rather easy for someone like me to do, Naruto-kun," Hanako said with a smile. Naruto narrowed his eyes with a look that could kill. However, the man appeared undeterred by the look as he continued. "I will admit, you are a very hard man to get a hold of. The number of times my line was rerouted to a different phone was quite impressive, and the fact that there is very little information on you is even more so. Though, I will admit to knowing a bit more about you then most... Namikaze Minato."

Naruto kept his poker face up, but on the inside his mind was a hurricane of activity. _'Minato was the ID I used last century when I was in England. But I barely even used it and even then it was only in the smaller cities that I stopped by during my travels. How could he know that?'_

He didn't question the man, and wouldn't have been able to anyways as Musubi saw him on his phone and walked over to peer at it from over his shoulder so she could see who he was talking too.

"Professor!" she said in surprise.

"Well hello number eighty-eight. How are you doing?"

Musubi gave a brilliant smile. "I'm fine, Professor."

"I take it you two know each other?" said Naruto, baiting for information.

"Oh yes, the Professor was my professor before I began searching for you," Musubi informed him.

"I see," Naruto said with a frown. The thought of Musubi being looked over by this guy made him ill, even though they were talking through a phone, he was getting bad vibes from this guy. That the man seemed to be constantly holding a smug look also didn't help. "So was you congratulating me the only reason you called? Or was there another one?"

"Of course there was another reason," the man said. "Now that you're an Ashikabi you have become part of a grand game. An epic competition and struggle between Sekirei who must battle in secret in order to stay with their Ashikabi. Do you understand this?"

"I understand that your some kind of sick and twisted fuck who's using people like Musubi-chan for their own amusement," Naruto said with a growl.

"Now, now, there's no need for such harsh words, my boy," said Hanako. "After all, insulting me won't do you any good. Now that you are an Ashikabi the game for you has begun."

"What if I don't want to play?"

Hanako smiled. "Than I'm afraid I'll have to send the M.B.I.'s disciplinary squad after you." Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man who seemed to find some form of amusement in the blonds disgust. "Well, I'm afraid that's all the time I have for you today. I do hope you'll play. I am looking most forward to seeing how you do. Oh, and by the way. This is a highly confidential project so keep your mouth shut, or else."

The screen went blank and Naruto growled before pocketing it.

"Are you ok, Naruto-Sama?" asked Musubi, growing concerned when she heard him growl.

Naruto looked over at the girl and felt his expression soften almost against his will. "Not really..." he said with a sigh. "I guess I just don't like the idea of you risking your life for the whims of someone else."

"So... you're worried about me?" she asked, almost seeming shy.

"Of course I am," Naruto said, looking at her with an intensity that made Musubi's heart feel warm inside. "This might sound odd, but I haven't had anybody to call a friend, or even a remote acquaintance for... long time. Yet in the span of a single day, you've managed to somehow become important to me. I don't want to see you hurt." He wondered if it had something to do with the odd emotions he had been feeling. He could tell they were not coming from him, but from Musubi. Ever since he had become her 'Ashikabi' he had been able to feel her emotions as clearly as if they were his own.

_'Does it have something to do with when our chakra connected? I still feel her chakra combining with my, like an odd sort of emergence.'_ He could also feel her draining his chakra, not enough to warrant any concern, his body naturally lost more chakra in one hour then she had managed to drain in the last five. If anything it was a good thing since it meant his chakra wasn't going to waste. But he did wonder what it meant.

"Naruto," Musubi took one of his hands with a smile on her face. She pressed it against her breast, and the blond could feel her slightly hard nipple underneath the fabric. "I'm so happy to know you care about me so much. I knew I picked right when I chose you to be my Ashikabi."

"Musubi..."

"However, you don't need to worry about me," she continued with a soft smile on her face. "I will fight for you, I want to fight for you. And then you and I will ascend into the higher skies above together."

Naruto smiled at her. His hand moved from her breast to her hips, it slid around her as his other hand came over and did the same, pulling the girl into a hug. Musubi instantly returned the hug. She was immensely pleased that she and her Ashikabi already seemed so close, and she loved the heat the blond's body seemed to radiate like a furnace. It warmed her, seeping into her very soul and comforting her in ways she had not even thought Ashikabi could do with their Sekirei. It was almost like he was pouring his love into their bond, like she could actually feel him there radiating his desire to protect her.

"If that's the case, if you really want to fight, then I will also fight with you," Naruto said. "Just as you fight for me, I will also fight for you as well."

"You don't have to," Musubi said. "I can fight for the both of us."

"But I want to." Naruto pulled away from their embrace so he could look in her eyes. "If we are partners, then that means we are a team. I won't let you fight alone, and I will do all in my power to protect you."

Musubi's eyes got big and watery, giving her a comical appearance. "Your such a great person, Naruto-Sama."

"I don't know about being a great person," Naruto said sadly. "However, I will always protect the people close to me." The sound of boiling caught the blonds attention and he continued, saying, "I think the foods getting ready."

"Ah! Oh no! The food!" Musubi shot up and ran over to the stove, causing Naruto to chuckle. If nothing else, being with Musubi would be an interesting and fun experience.

**XoX**

Dinner was anything but a quiet affair. Musubi had created her 'special curry' which the blond had to admit was good. During that time Naruto, in an effort to learn everything he could about what he had gotten himself into started asking Musubi all kinds of questions, which she was all to happy to answer.

"All Sekirei have their own special abilities," Musubi said as Naruto asked her about the two they had run into. "Each of us are different, with our own abilities and powers."

"So those two we ran into were lightning types, I guess," Naruto said with a thoughtful look.

"That's right," Musubi nodded her head. "Sekirei's like them are able to use a certain element, they're what the professor calls simple types. And I'm a fist type."

"So you specialize in hand-to-hand combat then?" asked Naruto.

"Yes. I have am stronger and have more energy then other Sekirei," Musubi said.

"I see. And I suppose I'm right in assuming that a Sekirei can't change their type?"

"Yes, it's impossible for any Sekirei to change their type. Because the type of power each of us have is a part of who we are." Naruto nodded at the explanation as dinner continued on. When they were both done, Naruto insisted on doing the washing since she cooked the meal. However, Musubi was stubborn and said that she wanted to clean the dishes for him. They had eventually settled on washing the dishes together, Naruto would clean them and Musubi would dry them. The brunette Sekirei seemed to like his idea the best, claiming it would be bring them closer together.

It was just as they were finishing up that a knock came to the door. With a frown Naruto walked over to the door and opened it. Standing in front of the doorway was a man in a black suit with an M.B.I. badge on his collar. "Can I help you?" asked Naruto, tensing as he prepared to possibly kill this guy. However, all the man did was hand the blond the box he was carrying, then shut the door.

"I wonder what this is," the blond said as he moved back into the room Musubi was in and set it down. Kneeling by it Naruto opened the box and pulled out... "clothes?"

"Oh, they brought me my clothes!" Musubi said. Then she grabbed the hem of the shirt Naruto had given her and began lifting it off.

"Um... not that I'm complaining or anything," Naruto commented as he watched her take the shirt off, or to be more specific watched as the skin tight shirt she had been wearing was dragged across her breasts, which were released with a jiggle as they came loose from the shirt. She wasn't wearing a bra so the blond ended up getting an eyeful of her full-figured chest, a sight that took all of his considerable will not to be thrown back with a nosebleed. "But are you really this comfortable with changing in front of me?"

Musubi blinked at him, adopting a look of confusion that when combined with her large chest being bared to him added a look of innocent sex appeal that Naruto was sure would have killed lesser men via nosebleed. He doubted that even Jiraiya, the super pervert that he was, would be capable of surviving the look she gave him.

"Why would I would uncomfortable changing in front of you?" she asked.

"You know, to keep your modesty and all that," Naruto said, wondering if she was really so naïve that the idea of propensity and proper behavior among the opposite sex was lost on her. "Most of the time when two people just meet they don't go showing off their... private appendages to others."

"Oh," the brunette looked genuinely surprised and Naruto had to resist face palming. "I didn't realize that. So should I not change in front of you?"

"That's up to you," Naruto admitted with a shrug. "Personally, I don't care if you want to change in front of me. You're gorgeous and I'm certainly not going to deny that I love seeing you like that. However, even if you do want to expose yourself in front of me, I would appreciate it if you didn't show yourself like this to anyone else."

"So you like seeing me like this?" asked Musubi, an odd smile on her face. It was decidingly innocent, with no sexual connotations to it, yet radiated an expression of pure joy that actually took Naruto by surprise.

"I would be a fool not to," Naruto said. "As I told you before, you're a beautiful woman."

"Naruto-Sama!" Musubi shouted as she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around the blond in a hug as she tackled him to the floor. "I'm so happy that you like the way I look! You don't have to worry however, if Naruto-Sama wants it, I will only show myself like this to him."

Naruto groaned as he felt himself responding to Musubi's bare-chested frame pressing itself against him. He could feel all of the blood rushing to his lower head. "Musubi," he said, trying to keep the growl out of his voice. "If you keep this up I'm afraid I'm going to lose control of myself."

Musubi blinked as sat up and looked at him, tilting her head to the side in an expression of confusion. "Lose... control of yourself?"

"You don't understand what I mean by that, do you?" he asked, getting her to shake her head no. Naruto sighed. "It's a figure of speech. It essentially means I'll start thinking with my second head."

"Second head? You have two heads? How come I can only see one?" Musubi asked as she began to look at his body to see where his second head was.

Naruto groaned as he realized that Musubi didn't seem to understand any sexual terms, meaning it was unlikely she even knew what sex was. He was not looking forward to that conversation. "Never mind," he said quickly. In the hopes she would drop the subject he changed topics, "so why don't you finished getting changed so we can go to bed."

Musubi smiled as she began getting changed into a large shirt that he got out for her to sleep in. "Ok!"

**XoX**

**Here is an idea for a Naruto and Sekirei crossover. Once again there aren't too many of these, and I have yet to see one of them done well. I don't really have any requirements for this beyond a few.**

**1. Minato, you will have to find some way to deal with him. Either adding him as a minor secondary character, or getting rid of him via the escape from Shinto Teito arch.**

**2. While you can loosely follow the anime and/or the manga, please be sure to make the content as original as possible. This does not include Naruto's harem if you don't want it to. You can keep the same people Minato would have had for Naruto. But make sure that when the problems that come up are dealt with differently.**

**Those are the only two requirements I can think of. If any of you decide to take this story please MS me and let me know.**

**Good luck! ^_^**


	4. Naruto and Ikki Tousen

**Naruto and Ikki Tousen Crossover idea.**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki, a blond fighter with amnesia is found by Chou'un. Watch as he struggles to reclaim his identity while going to a high school filled with bodacious woman who are possessed by the souls of long dead warriors.**

* * *

><p><em>He was battling.<em>

_A horde of endless enemies were charging towards him, their bodies were pure white, on occasion they would look like others however, allies. But this did not stop him as he cut through the mass of swarming enemies like a hot knife through butter. He knew they weren't truly his allies, he could sense the dark intentions they held._

_Beside him was another man, an ally, though he couldn't remember his name. He was a man with dark-skin and a muscular build, as well as wh__ite hair and a goatee. On his right shoulder, he had a tattoo of the kanji for "iron" (__鉄__, tetsu), and on his left cheek, there was a tattoo of a bull's horn. His top lip also has a slightly darker hue than his bottom one. Like him, this man was plowing his__ way through the enemy horde like there was no tomorrow._

_The battle was beginning to pick up, there were more people joining in. Not just the white guys who could change shape. A raven haired man with red eyes and three tomoe was launching fire balls at him. Meanwhile, another man with a drawn back face and light purple eyes with a ripple pattern summoned a large dog. Even more men were coming and if he didn't act so he knew he would be overwhelmed._

_His hands moved in a blur before he shot out several bullets of wind that sailed into the white guys, the wind was so compressed the attack blew wholes straight through the men. Out of pure instinct he rolled forward, dodging the dog that attacked him. Pushing off the ground with his hand he spun around and landed on the ground several feet away._

_Another hand seal later and several copies of himself appeared with in a cloud of smoke. They launched themselves at the dog with a vengeance. Several were wiped out by its huge claws, but a few managed to make it through. As soon as they landed on the dog they exploded, causing it to multiply but also lose it's size._

_The man with the ripple eyes who had been standing on the dog was forced to jump off. He met the man in the air and launched a powerful strike that was blocked by a forearm. However the blow was more than enough to send the man crashing down to earth. Landing, he had just enough time to dodge a fire dragon from the raven haired man with the red eyes._

_He glared as a hand launched itself from his cloak, a spinning ball of chakra inside of it and attacked the man who proceeded to dodge. However the hand was just a distraction as numerous more cropped up and surrounding him. Just as he was about to crush the man, a shout of "Shinra Teneis" was heard before he was sent sailing backwards, crashing into and breaking through a large boulder._

_The battle soon began to take a turn for the worst as he and his ally tried to fend them off, however with the endless horde of white men and the new, more skilled people being added to the equation the two were soon overwhelmed._

_Even still he continued to fight and struggle as he was soon pinned down._

_It was then that another appeared on the battlefield, laughing at him._

"_Hehehe, looks like my plans will soon be complete, I have to thank you for making it easier." Said a man with a face mask that had a design on it that looked like a combination between the eyes of the two he had been fighting. "I must thank you for being so foolish as to come onto the battlefield..."_

"_...Kyuubi Jinchurikki."_

Naruto awoke with a loud gasp as he shot up into a sitting position. He looked around the room, noticing the plain white walls of the guest bedroom to the small apartment he lived in. Bringing up a hand he wiped away some of the sweat on his face. A sigh escaped his lips as he lay back down and closed his eyes.

"Are your memories acting up again?"

Blinking, Naruto turned his head towards the sound of the voice. It was a girl around his age, with white hair and a body that brought new meaning to the words "if looks could kill". She was currently dressed in a modified school uniform, one that Naruto loved as the skirt stopped above her mid-thigh, allowing him to see more of her long, pale legs. Her eyes were currently closed, which was pretty much the standard with her.

"Are you done stripping me with your eyes Naruto-kun?" asked the girl with a slightly amused smile.

"No, not really," Naruto answered with a grin, "unfortunately there isn't enough time in the day for me to properly admire your beauty Yun-chan."

Chou'un resisted the odd urge to giggle, something only this particular blond could ever make her do. "Hurry up and get dressed, we need to head over to Seito soon," she said before turning to leave.

Naruto groaned, "Great, Seito Academy, why do I have to go to school anyways." Sighing the blond stood up and began his day, "stupid, boring school."

After taking a long rinse in the shower to get the sweat that had accumulated due to his nightmare off his body, Naruto got dressed in his own uniform. Like Chou'un he had modified it, quite a bit more than what she had done to hers. He had a pair of black slacks that had an orange flame pattern on the bottom, a white sleeveless shirt with orange stripes and a pair of orange fingerless gloves. The only other accessories he had were three, a headband with a leaf symbol on it, a necklace with a green gem on it, and another necklace with six glowing red Magatama. Aside from a pair of tattered clothes, they were the only things he had on him when he had been found.

He looked himself over in the mirror as he dressed. Naruto had spiky blond hair, and not your average blond either, Chou'un had described his hair once, saying, "it's like staring at the sun, if you look too much it might blind you." It was an odd golden blond color that seemed to literally absorb and reflect sunlight. It had a fringe in the front that overshadowed his eyes and two jaw length bangs.

Naruto was fairly tall for his age, standing at around six feet even. Like most fighters his body was layered with hard muscles that he gained from hours of strenuous training and combat, unlike most men however his were not the bulky kind that only weighed people down. They were compact, streamlined if he wanted to listen to Chou'un, and were built for speed above all else.

However the oddest thing about Naruto was his eyes. His eyes consisted of a light gray iris and sclera with four concentric rings spreading out from the pupil. They were something of a secret to him, only Chou'un and a few others had ever seen his eyes.

The only other defining feature about him were the six whisker marks on his face, three on each cheek running horizontally across his face.

Taking a pair of sunglasses from the stand in his room Naruto put them over his eyes, finishing up his outfit. Grinning, he made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, where Chou'un was cooking breakfast.

"You know Naruto-kun, it takes you a long time to get ready, I don't know any other male that takes as long as you just to get dressed," she told him in a laid back tone that held a slightly teasing quality. "In fact, I think it takes longer for you to get ready than most women I know."

"Haha, very funny," Naruto laughed sarcastically. "And you're the only girl I know who likes to sit on the dryer while it's running."

"I like the funny feeling it makes between my crotch," she replied, stepping into the land mine he had planted on purpose. The two looked at each other, then Naruto chuckled, with Chou'un following moments later. Soon both of them were laughing as Chou'un set two plates on the table. Naruto helped her by bringing in the large tray of pancakes, setting them down onto the table before dishing up his friend and sitting down himself.

Helping himself Naruto's plate was soon piled high with food, food which he immediately took to scarfing down in the same minute it took for Chou'un to finish a single pancake. "Honestly, I don't know how you can eat so much and not gain any weight," she said with what sounded like a jealous tone, though it was often hard to tell with her. "Even I would gain weight if I ate like you."

"I think anyone else would too," Naruto said as he finished the last of his food and began to gently sip some tea. "And it's not like it's my fault I have an awesome metabolism, blame genetics."

"Oh so it's genes now this time?" asked Chou'un, her voice teasing.

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it," the blond replied.

Chou'un giggled a bit before cutting herself off abruptly. She noticed Naruto giving her a knowing grin and was almost tempted to pout at actually getting caught giggling like some average school girl.

Almost.

"Come," she said as she stood up and put her dishes in the sink, "we need to get going or we'll be late to school."

"Ugh, school," he noticed the look she was giving him, it was the 'if you don't do as I ask, I'm going to kick your ass' look that all women seem to have perfected at some point during their life. "Fine, fine, I'm coming. No need to get your panties in a twist." He paused, as if just registering what he said for the first time. A few seconds later a grin formed on his face and he added, "unless you want me to help untwist them, then go ahead and get them as twisted as you'd like."

* * *

><p><strong>Ikki Tousen<strong>

* * *

><p>"Mou, you didn't have to hit me so hard did you?" asked Naruto as he and Chou'un walked to school. Currently, he was rubbing a large bump on his head from his roommate smashing the sheath of her blade on it. "That really hurt, you know?"<p>

"You deserved it, mentioning my panties like that," his partner said with a small smile.

"I mention those all the time, hell, I've washed your panties and you didn't care than," the blond said in his defense. He perked up a moment later however and grabbed his white haired friend's hand, lacing their fingers together as his thumb rubbed against the back of her hand. The silver haired woman was fairly used to this by now, she had learned early on in their friendship that Naruto seemed to thrive on physical contact with others. She didn't know what it meant, though she assumed he was neglected as a child and it had been so bad his desire for human contact was some form of instinct.

"You have helped me wash my clothes a few times," she said, making sure to lace her fingers with his. What ever the case was she rather liked the blond, so returning his gesutre wasn't all that hard. "But I don't recall you touching my panties."

"You don't? Hmmm..." Naruto scratched his chin as he looked up at the sky. "Well, maybe you weren't there at the time, but I had felt that I should help out around the house so after I washed my own clothes I did your too."

"And you just happened to find a pair of my panties in them?" questioned Chou'un with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course not," Naruto said, "it was when I was hanging your clothes up to dry. I could even name your bra and waist size." Chou'un just shook her head and smiled at his slightly perverted antics, the blond always seemed to bounce between certain emotions dramatically, like he was acting on a stage. It made for an interesting show, if nothing else.

"So are you excited for your first day of school?" asked Chou'un as they walked hand in hand down the street. Their presence seemed to attract some attention, mostly from the guys who were staring at Chou'un's legs and large chest, or the girls who were quite literally drooling over Naruto. She found this part the most amusing, though she had to admit her blond friend was definitely the most handsome man she had ever met. She couldn't rightly blame them for their lustful looks.

"Ugh, school," Naruto groaned once more and again Chou'un had to squash the urge to giggle at the boy. She blamed it on the whiskers adding to his cuteness factor. "I still don't know why your making me go to school, it's not like I'll learn anything useful, and school sounds so boring." The blond raised his fist in the air, "the last thing I want to do is get stuck sitting in a chair listening to boring ass lectures!"

"But it may help you get your memories back," Chou'un commented lightly. "It could help by making you remember a time when you were in school."

"I guess," Naruto mumbled, personally he didn't believe her. How could sitting in a chair listening to some teacher drone on and on about garbage few people would ever use help him regain his memories? Not that he would tell her that, "still doesn't seem like a good reason."

Chou'un just shook her head at her blond friend, she had only known him for a month but in that time there were a few things she had learned. One of them was his absolute hatred for school, the swordswoman didn't know if it had something to do with his past, or if the thought of sitting in a classroom was just that unappealing to him. Whatever the case may be, Uzumaki Naruto hated it when she even mentioned school or any kind of academic learning. The blond was able to better learn by doing hands on work.

As they entered the gate and continued on their way the pair ran into a girl with Blue eyes and purple hair. She was wearing a variation of a school's uniform, where her shirt only extends to her midriff section, and had on a pair of baggy socks.

"Kan-chan!" Naruto shouted as he rushed over to her, his arms wide open as if to embrace her. Only for Kanu to swing her Blue Dragon Crescent Blade at him, it looked like she was trying to bisect him. However the blade merely passed through an after image and Kanu Unchou suddenly found a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, a set of well muscles abs and chest pressed against her back, and Naruto's left cheek nuzzling against her. "I missed you so much Kan-chan."

"Naruto-baka, get off!" Kanu grunted as she tried her best to get the blond to let go by elbowing him in the ribs. He jumped back before she could, however that was all she needed to spin around and swing her blade at him, once again all she did was pass through an after image.

"Why are you so mean Kan-chan?" asked Naruto with a pout, reappearing on her left. "I thought you loved me."

Kanu Unchou grit her grinded her teeth together, "we've only met once, two weeks ago, and that one time all you did was annoy me. Why would I love you?"

"I don't know what you're getting so worked up over," Naruto defended himself, "all I did was tell you that such a beautiful woman shouldn't act so… manly." Kanu made to swing at him again but the blond immediately moved to the opposite side of Chou'un, who merely looked amused by the pairs antics. The moment Naruto and Unchou Kanu had met, the purple-haired beauty had grown a feirce dislike of the blond.

"I hate you," Kanu said through grit teeth.

"What!" wailed Naruto, looking as if the world had just come to an end at her words, "how could you possibly hate me!" He looked at Chou'un with crocodile tears in his eyes, "you love me don't you Yun-chan? You don't hate me, right?"

"Of course I love you Naruto-kun," she replied in a manner that made it hard to tell if she was humoring him or not. She gave him a pat on the cheek like he was a little kid, "how could I possibly hate such a good looking and sweet guy?""

"Yes!" Naruto pumped a fist into the air, his previous sadness seemingly forgotten.

"I don't know why you humor him so," Kanu said to the silver haired swordswoman as the three walked to their classes.

"Who says I'm humoring him?" asked Chou'un, "I was quite serious."

"Besides," Naruto added from the other side of the swordswoman, sticking his head out and grinning at Kanu. "Us newbies need to stick together."

Chou'un nodded in agreement, "that's right." While Naruto was pretty much new to everything, having been found with a severe case of amnesia, Chou'un had just transferred to Seito this year. So this was both their first day at Seito Private School.

Kanu just sighed, "you are so lucky Ryubi-Sama asked me to look after you two."

"Aw… Ry-chan wanted to make sure we were looked after," Naruto gushed, "I should give her my…special thank you."

"Don't you dare!" Kanu said, her lance coming up again. She may have only met Naruto once, but that one time was all she needed to know what "special thanks" he was talking about. And she would die before she let this pervert do something like that to Ryubi.

"Don't worry Kan-chan," Naruto said with a smile that was far too innocent to be real, "I'll give you my special thank you as well."

"Die!"

"I have no intention of dying my sweet Tsundere! Ha ha ha!"

"Grr! I'LL KILL YOU!"

As Kanu began to chase the blond around Chou'un, said girl gave a light chuckle, "I have feeling this year is going to be very interesting." She looked at Naruto just as he shrieked like a girl and ducked under Kanu's blade. "Yes, I'm so glad I came to this school."

* * *

><p><strong>Ikki Tousen<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto kept his eyes closed as he ignored the roaring waterfall, both the sound as it drummed in his ears, along with the way the water crashed into his back as he sat under it. He ignored the biting cold and everything else as he continued his meditation. It was after school now and Naruto had decided to explore the region, he was lucky when he ran into this place.<p>

He remained perfectly still and felt out his own inner energy as he sat cross legged, his body sitting above the water's surface as he regulated and controlled the power within him. Ever since he had woken up Naruto had always been in touch with his own inner energy. It was not that different from his friends Chou'un or Kanu, who both used what they called chi, but at the same time their power felt, incomplete. He didn't know what else to call it other than incomplete, it was like they were only using half of their available power.

Thanks to his eyes, Naruto was able to see a person's inner energy, to quantify it, analyze it and break it down until he knew everything about it. He could tell how much power someone had with a single glance of his eyes, it was one of the many abilities he had thanks to them.

For example, when he looked at Chou'un, her energy, like most people in this world was a light blue, with only a small difference being that she had a light yellow tinging the color. However when she channeled her chi, the only color that came out was green, like half the color had been taken out of it.

Along with his own controlled energy Naruto felt two other types of energy. The first was the energy field that surrounded him, the energy of a nature, a light green that moved through the land like a light mist. The second energy was inside of him, it was a dark reddish orange and spoke of malevolent intent and the desire to cause destruction, though it was restrained, tame. He had no clue how it got there or what it was, even after hours of meditation but figured he would figure it out with time.

Naruto had no clue how long he stayed under the waterfall, but eventually the sun began to set and he realized he had stayed out for far too late. "Oh shit!" he yelled as he hurried to stand up and run on top of the water towards the edge where his shirt and coat were folded on the ground. A quick application of fire chakra to heat his body up and he was nice and dry. He grabbed his discarded clothes and began putting them on as he ran out of the small clearing. Hopefully he could find this place again later.

He never noticed the set of eyes watching him as he ran off_, was that guy_ _walking on water? Who was that?_

He began pumping chakra to his legs as he found himself on a street, it was tempting to just teleport home but he knew that he was already pushing the limits of what a human could do. That and Chou'un had told him not to show any of his special abilities if he could help it.

"Oh man, Yun-chan's gonna kill me if I'm late for dinner!" He really shouldn't have gone exploring on his own, well, he didn't think there was really anything wrong with that. However the moment he had seen that beautiful clearing he should have just marked it as a place to go back to later and left, now he was late.

He soon found himself running through a small park but was stopped by ten people wearing school uniforms that differed from his own. "Well, well boys, looks like one of Seito's students has come onto our turf. So, your the new guy we've been hearing rumors about, huh?" said the man in the front of the group. "You don't look like much, and here I was thinking I had finally found someone who might actually be a challenge."

"Huh? You know of me?" asked Naruto. He shook his head, "look, I don't know who you people are but I'm in something of a hurry here. So, why don't losers just run along before I break my foot off in your ass, ok?"

"What was that, you punk!" shouted the man, rushing him with a fist cocked back. However by that time Naruto had already gone, and all that he went through was an afterimage. "What the -" the man was cut off mid speech as Naruto's image appeared in front of him, crouched down on the ground with one hand planted behind him. He used his position to launch a brutal kick under the mans chin, launching him into the air where he moved in a slow arch before hitting the ground two meters away.

The other toushi didn't seem to take too well to this.

"Did you see that!"

"That bastard!"

"Let's get him!"

all of the men rushed him and Naruto frowned for only a moment before a grin came to his face. The men were soon at his position, doing there best to land a hit on him. However the blond just wove between their attacks with ease, nothing they did seemed to work as Naruto would dodge and spin around their attacks as if he knew they were coming before they came.

"This is too easy!" Naruto as he dodged one attack after another, "I hope this isn't the best you guys have!"

"Grr! Hold still you little shit!" Yelled one of the men, throwing another punch at the blond.

Naruto smirked, "alright." He let the attack come in, but before it even hit him he had grabbed the hand. Yanking on it he send the toushi he had in his grip flying towards him, where the blond proceeded to smash his fist into the mans face, knocking him out cold and sending him flying into a metal pole that bent due to the force of the punch.

Spinning on the balls of his feet Naruto launched two kicks in quick succession, each one hitting one of the toushi with enough force to send them smashing into a tree. Ducking he dodged an attack that came from behind, putting his hands on the ground and lashing out with a mule kick. Said attack was hard enough that the sounds of ribs breaking could be heard clear through out the small clearing. Without waiting to watch that man get sent flying, the blond kicked himself into a handstand and spun around, doing a split and kicking two more toushi in the face. He pushed himself into a hand spring and landed on his feet a meter away.

"Well?" he asked, looking at the remaining people who had ganged up on him. He noticed the looks of fear they had on their faces and smirked, "is that all you have? You guys just come out of the blue and attack me, yet now look at you. Your nothing but a bunch of losers cowering in fear and using your false sense of bravado as a fighter to get through the day. How pathetic."

"Gra! I'll show you pathetic!" Yelled one of the men who seemed to have more brawn than brains. Well, it's not like the rest of the fools had anymore than this guy, they were just too scared to do much at the moment.

Naruto watched as the guy came at him, fist pulled back in preparation for a punch, and sighed. As soon as the man came within reach, his foot struck, launching out at a speed so fast only the after effects were seen. Said effect being being the man getting sent flying backwards where he smashed not into a tree, but straight through a tree. The other toushi looked at the now broken tree wide eyed, then turned their eyes on Naruto.

"Boo!" Naruto said, getting a girlish scream from all of the toushi around him before they ran like bats out of hell. "Hahahaha! What a bunch of losers! Hahahaha – oh no!" Naruto's face paled and he began running again, "damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I am soo late!"

* * *

><p><strong>Ikki Tousen<strong>

* * *

><p>"Yun-chan! I'm home!" Naruto shouted as he closed the door behind him, took off his shoes and made his way into the living room.<p>

"Uzumaki-kun!" Naruto blinked in surprised before a pair of arms entangled around his neck. Out of shear instinct he wrapped his own arms around the waist of the female holding, spinning once so he wouldn't lose his balance. He set the girl back on her feet and pushed here away to get a good look at her.

The person holding him was a rather cute girl with very large breasts, something that he felt simply didn't fit her cute personality. She had light brown hair, green eyes and glasses and was currently still in her school uniform.

"Ry-chan!" Naruto grinned, "it's been all of what, two weeks since we last saw each other?" He playfully ruffled the girl's hair, "how's my little imouto-chan?"

"Muu, do you have treat me like a kid nii-san?" asked Ryubi with a slight pout. She smiled a second later as if she had already forgotten him treating her like a kid, "so, did you read that book I gave you? Huh? Did you, did you?"

Naruto chuckled nervously, "uh... hehehe, well, you see I..."

"You didn't, did you?" she said in an accusing tone as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, I wanted to but..."

"You promised me you would read the book," she whined.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "yeah, but it's just so boring! How can I be expected to read when there are so many better things I could be doing."

"How could you say that!" Ryubi placed a hand to her mouth and gasped, as if what he had just said was the most blasphemous thing she had ever heard. "Books are the best way to understand the world, by reading, we can learn about both the world around us and ourselves..."

As Ryubi went off on her rant about the greatness of books to poor Naruto, Kanu walked into the entrance to see what was happening and palmed her face, "god help me, why did these two have to hit it off so well?"

"They do seem rather close for having met only once," Chou'un admitted, "they really do act like brother and sister."

"It's just my luck that the person I am destined to protect chose the person I hate as her older brother figure."

"Do you really hate him?" asked Chou'un with a smile on her face. "I would think that you'd be much more serious whenever you made an attempt to kill him after the times he pissed you off."

"He's still a student of our school," Kanu said, turning away from Chou'un who just gained a wider smile. "I can't just kill him."

"If you say so."

While Kanu turned a small glare at Chou'un, Naruto was still receiving a stern talking to about the greatness of books. "And if you don't read you'll never learn of the mistakes of the past, and you'll be be forever destined to repeat them..." He absently wondered how this girl could be so long winded about something as boring as books. Looking for a way out Naruto's eyes landed on the two behind Ryubi and he smiled widely.

"Yun-chan! Kan-chan! Did you two miss me?" he asked, slipping past Ryubi who spun around in an attempt to keep him in her sights but ended up tripping over her own feet and falling to the floor.

"Why would I miss you baka?" asked Kanu with a sneer.

"So cruel..." Naruto muttered, he turned to Chou'un with large, puppy dog eyes. Though with his whisker, the white haired swordswoman thought he looked more like a fox. "You missed though, didn't you, Yun-chan?"

"Of course," his roommate replied, amused, "didn't I tell you that this morning though?"

"Yeah, but its nice to hear it repeatedly," he said with a smile. "Especially when the brutish hater over there is being mean."

Kanu heard this however and glared at Naruto, "what was that!"

One hour and a trashed living room later, Naruto, Chou'un, Kanu and Ryubi were eating at the dinner table. Well, the three girls were eating, Naruto was more or less devouring everything on his plate.

"How does he eat so much!" asked Ryubi who watched as Naruto finished inhaling another bowl of ramen. "I've never seen anyone eat like this!"

"He's like a human garbage disposal," Kanu said in disgust.

"It does make paying for groceries rather difficult," Chou'un commented as she finished her own bowl. "Thankfully he seems to be obsessed with ramen, which is cheap. Were it anything else I don't think we'd have enough money for groceries."

"Mmm hmph mmm!" Naruto said as he continued scarfing his food.

"Please don't talk with your mouth full Naruto-kun," Chou'un said.

"Mmphy!" Naruto finished inhaling his thirtieth bowl of ramen, drinking the brother before setting it down with a sigh. "Sorry," he apologized.

"It's fine," said Chou'un, "you were saying?"

"I was saying its rude to talk about me like I'm not even here," he said with a pout.

Chou'un just smiled, "I apologize."

"S'ok," he said with a smile.

"Well I don't!" Kanu said with a huff. "Your disrespectful, rude..."

"Aw, you don't have to say such mean things Kan-chan," Naruto said with a pout. He smirked a few seconds later, "besides, at least I'm not boorish and unruly."

"Why you!" Kanu stood up and grabbed her Crescent Blade, from where Naruto didn't know, but as soon as it was out he grinned and dodged to the left just as it came down and split the table in half.

"Ah! My Meat buns!" Ryubi cried as her food fell to the floor.

As Kanu once again began chasing Naruto, Chou'un gave herself a pat on the back for having the insight to take her food off the table the moment the two started talking. She opened her eyes and looked at the evenly split table, "I'm gonna need to buy a new table."

* * *

><p><strong>Ikki Tousen<strong>

* * *

><p><em>He was breathing heavily as he looked over at his opponent. His entire body felt like it was on fire, the innumerable amount of cuts and bruises he had were healed for the most part, but now there was a red haze around him, swishing and twirling with a life of its own, taking on the form of a fox with one tail.<em>

_On the other side his opponent was looking just as bad as he was. With ash gray skin, two hand shaped wings on his back, a star-like scar across his face and black and black pupiless eyes with three tomoe in them, the kid looked even more freaky than he did._

_Both of them knew they were nearing their limit, the battle between them had been dragged on for some time and neither really had the strength left for more fighting. This would end with the next attack._

_He held out his hand, channeling the red chakra towards his palm to form a sphere of swirling, destructive energy. Over on the other side his opponent was creating his own attack, one hand pointed at the ground while the other was held to stabilize it as lightning sparked and crackled within the down turned palm._

"_This is it dobe!" the ash gray kid shouted._

"_Your right, it is," he said slowly. "I'm taking you back to Konoha, I made a promise I won't go back on my word!"_

_with their attacks charged the two shot off the ground, the earth cracking underneath them as they rocketed towards each other. They thrust their palms out and waited for the clash that would come, both knowing only one of them would be the victor._

"_NARUTO!"_

"_SASUKE!"_

"SASUUUKKKEE!"

Naruto shot up into a sitting position with a loud yell, his breathing was erratic and labored, as if he had just fought the battle within his nightmare. His eyes were wide, but unseeing, all he could see in that moment were the spinning black eyes of the kid he had fought in his dream. He couldn't fathom what he had seen, were these really his memories?

Or were they just nightmares?

Just than the door burst open and Chou'un came in, her sword in hand. When she saw there were no threats the white haired high school student looked over at her roommate. "Naruto-kun, are you ok?" she asked, leaning her blade against his nightstand as she sat on his bed. "You're shaking," she commented as she laid a hand on his sweaty back.

"Am I?" Naruto asked absently, blinking a few times as if just coming out of a trance. He looked over at Chou'un and confusion flickered across his eyes. "Yun-chan?"

"I'm here," she said, "are you alright?" Naruto didn't respond with words as he closed his eyes, just nodded his head absently as he tried to figure out what the dream meant. "Hold on a moment," she told him as she stood up and walked out of the room. She went to the kitchen and opened the cabinet under the sink, pulling out a rag, than pulled out a bowl from another cabinet and filled it with water. She came back up and a second later, dumped the rag in the bowl, pulled it out and ringed it until it was just mildly wet. She then began to wipe the sweat off of Naruto's face and back, taking care of the large scar on his back that was centered just a little above where heart his heart would. She knew if she looked at the front their would be one matching it.

Naruto sighed as he let Chou'un work, when she was finished he looked at her with a smile. "Thanks, Yun-chan," he said with a whisper.

"You're welcome," she replied with a smile, standing up she went to put the bowl and rag away. She stopped at the door and turned her head to say, "why don't you get in the shower and get ready."

"Do we have school today?" asked Naruto, confused because he didn't remember them having school since it was a Sunday.

Chou'un chuckled at him, "no, we're going out today though, remember?" Naruto just gave her a dumb look as she laughed and left the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Ikki Tousen<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto and Chou'un walked down the street as they made their way to the movie theater. Naruto looked around the large city, taking it in as if for the first time. He always felt slightly uneasy seeing the large buildings, like the layout wasn't supposed to be like this. Looking at the city now he would get flashes of another city, with large trees and a stone mountain with four faces on it. Shaking his head the blond banished those thoughts for now, pushing the few flashes of memories to the back of his mind until he could sort them later.<p>

He decided to turn his attention to his roommate, "so what movie are we going to go see, Yun-chan?"

"There's a new movie I wanted to see," Chou'un replied with a slight smile, "an adaptation of the Three Kingdom's. That's the book you promised Ryubi-Sama you would read but didn't." Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly at that while Chou'un bought to tickets at the ticket booth. The two made their way inside, and after getting their stubs pulled they stood in line at the concession stand. "Do you want anything to eat?" asked Chou'un as she surveyed the different types of food and candy in the concession stand.

Naruto looked at the different foods as well and slowly shook his head, "not really, but maybe we should get a coke?"

"Right, I'll have one medium sized bag of popcorn and a large coke," Chou'un ordered from the guy at the register. When their food was given to them and paid for the duo made their way into the theater room where their movie was playing at.

"Where should we sit?" asked Naruto who was holding the drink and popcorn, having insisted that it was only proper for him to do so, being a gentleman and all.

"The middle," Chou'un decided as soon as he asked the question, leading the blond to the exact center of the theater. They sat down and Naruto put the drink the in the holder and the popcorn on Chou'un's lap so she could eat it and because he wasn't much of a popcorn fan. The movie started several minutes after that and the pair watched the novelization of the the Three Kingdoms era of China.

As the movie progressed Naruto had to admit it was a rather interesting tale; it told a story of the historical period of disunity in China called the Six Dynasties following the loss of power of the Han Dynasty. The young blond actually found himself rather immersed in the story as he watched the battles of the many famed warriors of that era; men like Lu Bu, Liu Bei, Zhao Yun, Guan Yu and many others. He could tell the story was highly romanticized, the way the battles were shown seemed far too tame for true war.

_An image flashed in his mind. A battle between two forces, a group of faces he recognized but couldn't recall were fighting against hordes of white zombie looking ninja and the reanimated bodies of those who came before._

_One by one his friends and allies fell... unable to keep up with the zombie ninja._

Naruto closed his eyes and brought a hand to his face, messaging the bridge of his nose as the memories assaulted him. He felt there was something significant about these memories, aside from the fact that so far they were some of the only ones he had. At the same time, he felt an immense feeling of sadness well up inside of him every time he saw those images. They were accompanied by a sense of loss, bitterness and regret that he didn't really want to deal with.

His shift in demeanor did not go unnoticed however as Chou'un looked away from the screen and at him. "Are you ok?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm and rubbing it consolingly.

He smiled at her, "I'm fine... just remembering is all." She gave him a look that more or less told him that she wanted an explanation soon, "I'll tell you a little later." Chou'un looked at him for a moment longer before nodding her acceptance and turning back to the movie. Naruto did as well, doing his best to banish the gruesome images of people he somehow knew instinctively were his friends dying.

* * *

><p><strong>Ikki Tousen<strong>

* * *

><p>"So what did you think of the movie Naruto-kun?" asked Chou'un as the two walked back to their apartment. They had just finished watching the movie a little less than an hour ago and had gone to a small restaurant to get some take out.<p>

"It was pretty good actually," Naruto said as he walked alongside the girl who had taken him in, with his hands resting behind his head as he stared up at the sky. "I really enjoyed the story it told, I suppose I can see why Ry-chan wanted me to read the book, it's an interesting tale."

"Do you know of the significance of the Three Kingdoms Period?" asked Chou'un.

Naruto shook his head, "not beyond what I saw in the movie."

"Much like the strife in that period, the seven schools of the Kantou region are in an all-out turf war." A hand went to the magatama earing she had on, "these magatama earrings are worn by all Toushi, and contain the essence and spirits of the warriors from the Three Kingdoms era in China. The earrings tell us who we are, and many believe that our fate is the same as the warriors our magatama contain."

_"You should give up," advised a boy with long brown hair and pupiless white eyes. "You will not win here today; it is your fate to lose here."_

_Naruto blinked a few times as he tilted his head to the side, looking almost like he did not understand what the white-eyed prodigy was saying, "My fate?"_

_"Yes, that is right. It was your fate to lose to me, the moment I was made your opponent your fate was set." the boy said, an arrogant smirk on his face, "People are only as talented as fate allows them. A person's abilities are predetermined the moment they are born into this world."_

"Fate?" Naruto shook his head of the memories her words invoked and snorted. "I don't believe in fate." Chou'un looked over at him, her light blue eyes opening as she saw a frown on his face. "Fate, destiny, those are for the fools who are too weak to take a hold of life with their own hands, and too cowardice to take responsibility for their own actions. They blame their lack of ability and the troubles they face on fate, unwilling to even think that maybe, just maybe their problems are their own doing. They do nothing, not even bothering to truly live life, going under the misguided belief that everything is determined by fate, and no matter what happens, their life was preordained long before their birth, so they feel there is no point in even trying, because it was meant to happen anyway." The blond shook his head, "It's a load of crap, I make my own destiny. No one decides my fate but me."

"Naruto-kun?" said Chou'un, sounding a little uncertain at the way he spoke; he sounded much more mature than his usual childish and flirtatious self. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to him.

However the moment ended when he turned to her, blinked, as if seeing her for the first time. Then he laughed as a hand went to rub the back of his head and a sheepish expression crossed his face, "sorry about that..."

"What was all that about?" asked Chou'un, her curiosity peeked by his words.

"Just… I think it's because of some memories," he said, frowning as he looked up at the sky.

"So your beginning to remember things outside of your dreams?" she asked.

"A little," Naruto admitted, "it's not much, but I remember fighting someone, I think it was in a tournament but I only truly remember the one part. He told me that our fates were decided since birth, that people were only as talented as fate allowed them, and a person's abilities were predetermined since birth." He shook his head and frowned, "just remembering those words piss me off."

"But you don't know why," she said, not as a statement but as a fact.

Sighing Naruto nodded, "no, I don't. Unfortunately all I remember is that small segment, and I feel like there is much more before that point that is important, but I can't remember any of it."

"Well, I'm sure you'll remember eventually, so try not to worry too much, ok?" Chou'un placed a hand on his shoulder in a reassuring fashion.

"Don't worry, I won't let it bother me," Naruto said with a smile, which soon turned into a mischievous grin. "With such beautiful company it's hard to think about anything concerning my past."

Chou'un just let out a soft laugh, "always the smooth talker eh?"

"Of course," Naruto replied as the two started back on their way home.

* * *

><p><strong>Ikki Tousen<strong>

* * *

><p>The pair arrived home half an hour later and ate dinner in silence, neither were bothered by this as the atmosphere was very peaceful and gave them both time to think. When they were finished Naruto and Chou'un made their way to the bathroom to get ready for bed.<p>

Due to how small the apartment was, there was only one restroom, located between the main bedroom and the guest bedroom with a door on either side leading to the two rooms. Naruto stood on his side of the sink as he brushed his teeth, with Chou'un doing the same next to him. After brushing their teeth the pair, rinsed there mouth with water and spit at the same time. Looking at each other the blond grinned while the girl just smiled in her usual laid back manner, though there was a touch of amusement as well.

"We're quite the pair, eh?" said Chou'un.

"Yeah, I wonder what Kan-chan would say if she saw us like this," Naruto commented as he scratched his chin in thought.

"She would probably complain about me being too familiar with you," Chou'un said.

"Or she would demand me to stop copying you," Naruto said with a grin.

"Probably."

Naruto chuckled before he pulled Chou'un into a hug, startling the girl since though he had flirted with her, along with Kanu, they hadn't really had this kind close physical contact besides sparring and the times she would look after him during a particularly bad nightmare.

"Thanks, Yun-chan," Naruto said.

"For what?" she asked as she leaned into him, was it just her or was Naruto just naturally this warm?

"For everything, I suppose," he said. "For taking me in, for caring me when I was too injured to even lift a finger, for being my friend when I had none and helping me, even though I can't really remember anything about myself. You didn't know me, and you had no reason to help me, but you did. And for that I thank you."

"I-I'm sure you would have done the same," Chou'un said, feeling a little flustered. She hadn't really seen Naruto when he was serious, occasional flashes was all she got for his more serious personality, like when he woke up from the occasional nightmare/memories. Seeing him like this made her heart beat much faster, though she couldn't figure out why.

She had just met him a month ago, it's not like she could be falling for him after such a short time.

Right?

"I would have," he took a step back so he could look at her with an oddly serene smile on his face. "But I still appreciate what you've done for, and are still doing for me," he told her. Chou'un's face gained a beat red quality as Naruto leaned down and kissed her cheek, his lips just touching on the left side of her mouth. Leaning back up he grinned at her, "night Yun-chan."

Chou'un watched as Naruto made his way towards his room, her hand moving up to touch the spot he had kissed, she could still feel his lips on her skin. _That was…nice,_ she admitted before shaking her head and banishing the thoughts. She took one last look at the now closed door, gaining a contemplative look on her face, then she shook her head and made her way to her own room.

* * *

><p><strong>Ikki Tousen<strong>

* * *

><p>"I see, so there's a new student at Seito Academy," said a brown haired young man wearing the school uniform of the Rakuyou school uniform. His arms were covered in bandages and his brown eyes held a sadistic look on his face.<p>

"Yes, not much is known about him," a beautiful woman around 18 with light tan skin, green hair in two messy pig tails and green eyes said. She was wearing the female version of the Rakuyou uniform, her outfit was a lot more skimpy than most, with her rather impressive bust almost looking like it was being pushed out of her blazer. "He goes by the name of Uzumaki Naruto, I'm told he's quite the cutie."

"So what do we know about him, Ryofu?" asked the brown haired man.

"He seems to be living with another new student named Shiryuu Chou'un," Ryofu said. "Other than that all we know is that he seems to always be wearing sunglasses that completely cover his eyes, along with that he has a necklace with six red magatama on it."

"Six?" that was interesting news. What did this mean? Was it possible that he had six warrior spirits? And why were they red? There were many questions and it was quite possible this new student was a hindrance to his plans. "I see, find out all you can on him, if he proves to be a threat, eliminate him."

"If he's as cute as they say it will be a shame to kill him," Ryofu said with a smirk. "Still, I will do as you command, Toutaku."

* * *

><p><strong>So here is another idea that I have thought up from the netherworld of my mind, but simply have no time to complete. Requirements are as follows:<strong>

**1. Naruto's canon life, meaning Sasuke, Madara, the Elemental nations and all of the Shippuden timeline exist. However, this isn't an alternate dimension. Naruto has simply been sent thousands of years into the future, long after the Elemental Nations were destroyed.**

**2. Basic Ikki Tousen Canon plot exists. You must tie Naruto into the story in a unique and creative way that doesn't hamper the other characters, but rather changes their destiny.**

**3. This is a harem! There are over god-only-knows how many beautiful women in this anime. Naruto is a flirt and a pervert, and there are more then enough women that not having this as a harem would be a waste.**

**4. Sasuke and Madara, or Tobi as we now know that he is NOT Madara Uchiha must make an appearance at some point AFTER the technical first season of Ikki Tousen, meaning after Toutaku is dead. Remember, they both have Ein Mangekyo eyes and so they are both alive and out there... waiting. Whether you wish to make them the main enemy or not however, is up to you.**

**Those are all of the requirements, good luck and god speed!**


	5. Naruto and Final Fantasy 7

**Naruto and Final Fantasy Seven Crossover Idea.**

**Summary: Thrown in a world he knows nothing about, Naruto Uzumaki tries to find a new purpose in life after all that he had held dear was taken from him.**

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><p>The first thing he felt upon becoming self-aware once again was pain. Excruciating pain. It felt like thousands of needles were being stuck and poked into his body, like his insides had been dunked in acid. Every muscle and fiber in his body screamed at him, letting him know just how close to death he had come. And to be honest, he wondered why he wasn't dead.<p>

He had never been more thankful for his regenerative-healing factor, which was already kicking in. It hurt, by Kami it hurt. The feeling of your shredded muscles and broken bones being mended was intensely painful, though not as bad the pain he had felt when his awareness had kicked in.

As the pain began to fade into the background he began to feel other sensations. The feel of a soft bed beneath his frame, the pillows his head was laying against. The scent of the room, a mixture of feminine scents that pervaded his nostrils and soothed his mind and soul. The scents was of Lavender and reminded him of Hinata, the sweet yet somewhat weird girl who had always stalked him. The one who had a crush on him, but never went further then that.

His mind soon became more alert, sharpening as he decided to take stalk of his situation. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, not wanting to let whoever was near know he had awoken. First he ran a swift analysis of his body. He could already feel that his regenerative-healing factor had taken care of his mended bones and muscles, and was working on the little, less dangerous cuts. More to the point, his cuts and bruises had been bandaged, he couldn't determine the type of cloth used to do the bandaging, but he could feel them wrapped around his torso, which had taken the most damage.

Wanting to know a little more about the area around him, while still maintaining some secrecy, he sent a small pulse of chakra out of his body. The chakra acted like a sonar, by constantly pushing a set amount of chakra out of his body at a constant rate, while still keeping himself connected to it, he could 'feel' for lack of a better word, the things around him.

The room he was in was small, around ten to fifteen square feet if he had to guess. It was still larger then his old apartment had been. Around the room were various objects that he recognized by the feel of their shape. A desk and chair on one side, a closet, a dresser and a door on the far side. There was a window opposite of him. Along with those were smaller objects like clothes that he could feel were hung up on a hook on the door.

There was no one in the room at the moment, and so he decided to open his eyes. The first thing that greeted him was a pink ceiling with an odd checker design. _That looks like something Sakura-chan would have in her room,_ he thought absently. He wondered if this was her room. But then he shook his head as he realized it couldn't be. Not after...

Shaking his head he banished the thoughts before they could form, before they could bring him to tears. He couldn't afford to lose himself to sorrow right now, he wouldn't cry.

Sitting up he took a look around the rest of the room. Like the ceiling the walls were also done in pink. The place held a look that screamed feminine, from the walls and ceiling to the frilly curtains, everything let him know that this was a girls room.

That was in itself confusing to him. Judging from the bright, feminine charm of the room it was obvious that he was not a captive. So that begged several questions, where was he? How did he get here? More importantly, what happened to the Teme and Maradara?

Grunting he stood up. For a moment he swayed, almost falling over as a sense of vertigo and nausea swept through him. It was obvious that he had been more injured then he thought. He had never felt this bad before after getting healed. He wondered how long he had been recuperating but shrugged the thought off as unimportant.

He walked over to the window, his movements were sluggish and he realized that while his body may have repaired itself from whatever damage it took, the fact that his muscles had basically been regenerated meant they were still trying to get in some semblance of working order.

He sighed, that meant he wouldn't be fighting for a while.

Just as these thoughts came the door began to creak open and a female voice shouted. "I'm just going to check on him, mom!"

He tensed as several thoughts on what he should do ran through his mind. His first instinct was to jump and use his chakra to cling to the ceiling, get behind whoever was coming in and interrogate them on where he was. His second thought was to just kill whoever was coming in, he grimaced at that one as it had been an instinct bred into him through the fires of war and not something he would have thought of several years ago. His third decision was to do nothing. So far no one had made any hostile actions towards him, he had been placed in a nice, albeit girly bed, someone had been taking care of him, obvious from the signs of bandages that were wrapped around his frame and the place didn't hold a hostile or even remotely dangerous look.

All of these thoughts and ideas passed through his head in less then a second, the door had yet to even open halfway yet before he had come to a decision. Whoever had taken him in obviously held no ill intent, even without using his Rikudou form he had enough experience to sense when someone had the intent to harm him. So he decided not to do anything, yet, and see what happened from there.

The door finished opening as his decision embedded itself in his mind. A young woman walked into the room. She looked to be around his age, in her late teens to early twenties. She was wearing a shin-length pink dress that buttoned up at the front with a red bolero jacket. She had a pair of brown boots on, and metal bracers on her wrists and around the edges of her jacket sleeves. Her hair was drawn back in a thick plait with a large pink ribbon tied around it; within the ribbon he noticed she had an white orb that seemed to shine with a repressed light and energy that he could feel even without entering Sennin-mode. Her bangs were segmented and framed her face on the sides, and she had emerald green eyes.

All in all he thought she was rather beautiful. Her clothing didn't do much to hide her lithe, feminine frame. She wasn't wearing any make-up, nor did she seem to have any for them. She wasn't one of those beauties that Ero-Sennin had always enjoyed when going to those sleazy pubs the man had often taken him to. She held a more down to earth kind of beauty. If he had to come up with a word for it, he would say she was more 'real' then those other girls.

As she came in fully he noticed she was carrying a set of male clothes, at least they looked like male clothes judging from the duller colors when compared to the clothing she was wearing. It was at this that he noticed he was more or less naked, with only a pair of orange and black boxers covering his frame.

There eyes met and for a single second they both stared at each other. He saw the girl's eyes widen, and her mouth opened in a slight 'o' of surprise. Her eyes seemed to go over his form for a moment before her cheeks reddened.

"Uh... yo," he said, not really sure what to do in this situation. He had long since lost his modesty, along with many other moral scruples, but even to him this was awkward.

The girl let out an eep and quickly rushed back out of the door and closed it. "I'm sorry!" she called out, embarrassment permeating her voice. "I hadn't realized you were awake."

He chuckled at the girls embarrassment, finding it somehow refreshing. "It's alright, I probably should have stayed in bed anyways. Um, do you think you could hand me some clothes?"

"Oh!" the door the opened just enough for her to stick her hand, with his clothes in them, through the door. "Here you are... uh... when you get dressed, why don't you come downstairs into the living room?" she suggested.

"Sure," He agreed. It wasn't like he had much of a choice, he didn't know where he was, or how he got there. The simple fact was, this girl was currently his only source of information.

He grabbed his clothes and the girl closed the door. "I'll be down in just a second." The sound of feet padding against wood tiling let him know she had headed downstairs. Looking at the set of clothes she had given him he repressed a sigh. They weren't what he would have liked, but given that he had no clue what happened to his old set he began putting them on.

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Aerith Gainsborough leaned against the door as soon as she closed it. She could feel her heart racing in her chest, beating nearly two-thousand miles a minute as shock and embarrassment fought for attention.<p>

She had been going to check up on the unconscious blond, who apparently was not as out of it as he had seemed. To say she had been surprised by seeing a man that had been half-dead the other day not only wide awake but capable of standing would be an understatement. She had found him quite literally on the verge of death just yesterday, and yet here he was, standing and from the looks of it well on his way to recovery from what should have been fatal wounds. It was rather astounding and Aerith couldn't help but wonder how he healed so fast.

Then she realized that she was still standing outside the door to where he was and remember that the man was awake and she had just walked in on his half naked form. "I'm sorry!" she called out, feeling the need to apologize for so rudely coming into the room, even it was her room to begin with. "I hadn't realized you were awake."

"It's alright, I probably should have stayed in bed anyways. Um, do you think you could hand me some clothes?"

"Oh!" now she felt really embarrassed. She had been going to bring these up, just in case he ever woke up she wanted him to have something to change into. She had been so surprised by him already being up and about that she nearly forgot she had them. She opened the door just a crack and stuck the clothing she had gotten for him through the door. "Here you are... uh... when you get dressed, why don't you come downstairs into the living room?"

"Sure," he said, and she felt him grab the clothes. "I'll be down in a second."

Aerith withdrew her hand and shut the door. Still feeling embarrassed by the situation she had just been put in, she left without another word.

She entered the living room, which also served as a kitchen and found her mom already cooking dinner. "Mom," she said, getting the attention of the kind woman. "That man is awake. He should be down in a few seconds."

"Already?" the woman asked in clear surprise. Not that Aerith could blame her, when she had brought the blond in he had been on death's doorstep. To be honest, she had not even been sure if he would live out the night, even with her mom bandaging his wounds as best she could.

"Yeah, I know, it surprised me too," Aerith said. "I didn't expect him to wake up so soon, especially with how injured he was. The planet doesn't seem to know him either." Elmyra just shook her head at her daughters strange last sentence, she had grown used to the girls eccentricities by now.

"Why don't you begin setting the table, dinner will be read soon and I'm sure that young man will be hungry."

"Ok."

Aerith went over to one of the cupboards and got out several sets of table wear and some napkins. They weren't the finest china dishes around, the plates were scratched and used and the forks and knives were dinged, but considering where they lived it was better then nothing.

It was only a few minutes after Aerith finished setting the table that the young blond man walked down the stairs. Once again she found herself looking at him. The man was tall, he looked to be somewhere around six feet, easily a head taller then she was. His form was not big, but even now, when he was wearing the plain brown shirt and pants she had given him, Aerith could see the muscles straining against the fabric of the shirt. They were kind of muscles that were gained from use, rather then working out in a gym.

His hair was a bright, almost golden yellow. To her it seemed as if his hair absorbed and reflected sunlight it was so bright. It stuck up in messy spikes with a fringe that hovered just above his eyes and a pair of jaw length bangs that framed his face. She had never seen hair like his before and a part of her didn't deny that she was curious what it would feel like to run her hands through it.

His face, like his body looked like it had been chiseled from stone. It was angular and held a mature quality, while still retaining it's youthfulness. One of the oddities she noticed on him were the three whisker-like markings that lined each cheek in a horizontal pattern. Aerith thought they made him look like a fox.

However, it was his eyes that drew in the most attention. A set of pure blue orbs that were so deep she almost thought they could look into her soul. They seemed to glow with a vibrancy, light and power that she had only seen once.

They were just like _his_.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her mother noticed him as well and gave him a smile. "Why don't you sit down while Aerith and I set down the food?" she suggested.

The blond blinked for a moment, tilting his head a little as his face adopted a look of curiosity. The look was so utterly adorable that for a split second Aerith had the largest urge to squeal and was forced to fight it down, lest she embarrass herself in front of him further.

After a few seconds the blond smiled before walking into the kitchen where Elmyra was. "Since you and your daughter have been kind enough to let me into your house and take care of me, why don't I take care of getting food on the table?"

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>It took a bit of convincing before Elmyra let the blond bring out the food, claiming he was a guest in her house and was still healing. However Aerith noticed that the blond man was extremely stubborn and apparently wouldn't take no for an answer. After the two politely argued over who would bring out the food, Aerith decided she had enough of their squabbling and told them to both do it.<p>

The two had actually looked mildly embarrassed after that and silently agreed to do as Aerith said. Once the food was on the table, and everyone was seated Elmyra decided introductions were in order. "I know you met my daughter, Aerith just a little while ago. My name is Elmyra."

The blond looked up from the bite of soup he had been about to take. "Naruto Uzumaki," he said. "Thank you for taking care of me while I was... incapacitated." He frowned for a moment as a thought occurred to him. "Speaking of, can you tell me just how you found me?"

"Oh, I didn't find you," Elmyra replied, getting a surprised look from Naruto. "My daughter did."

"You actually fell out of the sky and nearly landed on top of me," Aerith said. "You were nearly dead and I had to drag you back home, where mom patched you up."

Naruto looked at her and smiled. "I guess I owe you my life, then. Thank you."

Aerith actually felt her face heating up and she looked away from Naruto's smile. "I-It's no problem, though I was worried you were dead when you first showed up."

"You were in pretty bad shape," Elmyra nodded her head in agreement with her daughter. "When she and a few of the other people around here brought you to me, you were in terrible shape. I don't think I've ever seen someone with so much damage done to them. It looked like you had been in a terrible fight."

"I was," Naruto said, grimacing as he remembered what he had done to get into such condition. "To be honest, I'm surprised I survived." Though that did beg the question... "how did I get here? And uh... where is here?"

"I don't know exactly how you got here. As I said, you more or less fell on top of me." Aerith paused for a moment. "However I can tell you that you are in the Sector Five slums of Midgar."

Naruto blinked. "Sector Five? Midgar?"

The sound of confusion in Naruto's voice and the befuddled look on his face made the two women look at each other. Somehow, the realized it was going to take a long night of explaining to sort things out with the young man.

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto remained silent and still as he sat on the roof of Elmyra's home. The place was surprisingly peaceful, with a waterfall on one side and a patch of land that was connected by a small plank behind him. The land on the other side of the plank held small rings of flowers.<p>

Yet even with the peacefulness this place held, Naruto found his mind in turmoil. After his initial confusion had ended, Aerith and her mother had decided to help explain where he was.

Midgar was the capital of the world, a planet that Aerith called Gaia. It was the most technologically advanced construction that had ever been built on the planet. Built by the Shinra Electric Power Company, Midgar was home to the corporation's main headquarters, which dominated the city skyline. Due to it's massive population, Midgar required a lot of energy to run. Thanks to its eight Mako Reactors, the city's massive power demands were easily met.

From what Naruto had learned Aerith's words, Midgar was a large circular structure divided up between two main layers: the paradise above the plate, and the miserable slums below. The city itself is "floating" above the ground, supported by massive pillars in each sector. Above the plate live the richest and most powerful men in the world who run most of its affairs.

Aerith and her mom lived in the Slums. Unlike the metropolitan top, the slums were home to bitter poverty. Due to the "pizza" plate hundreds of feet above their head, the people of the slums could go their entire lives without ever once seeing the sky. While the top was designed with cobble-stone paths and fine architecture, the slums represented the severe desperation of its population with buildings ranging from permanent structures like houses and cottages, to crude edifices such as mobile-homes and huts. The homeless have to make do with whatever shelter they can find.

When Naruto had been given a general rundown of the place, he couldn't help but be appalled by what he had heard. It was sickening to think that some conglomerate company would force people to live in such abject poverty. In many ways the situation here reminded him of what he had seen in Nami No Kuni when it was under the rule of Gato. He could even picture some fat midget running things up top.

Once they had gone over the initial explanation of the world, Naruto had been forced to ask them questions that expounded on what they had told him. He had learned about Mako, the power that Shinra used to power Midgar, the Mako Reactors that sucked the energy out of the earth and refined it into a useable energy source. He had even been given the general history of what had happened in Gaia for the last several decades. After everything he had been told, Naruto had come to one conclusion.

He was no longer in the elemental nations. Whatever had happened to him during his battle against Madara Uchiha and Sasuke-Teme, the world he had known, grown up in, lived for, and was willing to die for was gone, at least for him. It was a hard and bitter pill to swallow, especially when he had no clue how he had gotten to this new world. Was it a different world entirely? Had he been thrown through time by Madara's space-time ninjutsu? Was he in some kind of alternate dimension like the kind he would find in one of those crazy manga's that he liked to read when he was younger? He didn't know, and there were so many more questions, questions which he might never get the answers to.

"Are you going to just stand back there all night?" Naruto asked, not even looking over his shoulder as Aerith lightly squeaked at being caught so easily. The blond shinobi scooted himself over a bit and patted the seat next to him. "If your going to be out here at least sit down."

Aerith hesitated for only a moment before taking a seat next to him. As she sat down the young woman couldn't help but eye the blond man before her. "You really don't know anything about this place, do you?"

A mirthless smile crossed his face. "No, I don't. Aside from what you told me."

"Are you sure you don't have amnesia or something?"

Naruto chuckled. "Positive. If I had amnesia I would have just forgotten everything, but I have memories of where I was born, and the things I did for last seventeen years of my life."

"It could have been a dream," Aerith suggested.

"It could have," Naruto admitted, "and yet, I know it wasn't. Aside from the fact that the memories are far to clear to be a dream, I still have many of my abilities that I learned from that dream." He wasn't quite sure if that was true, but he still had control over his chakra, he could feel it in his coils though it did feel a tad different. It was more... pure, he supposed was the word.

"I guess your right," Aerith said after a few seconds of thought. She looked out at the sprawling part of the Slums before her and sighed. "And here I was hoping you would be in Soldier..."

Soldier. It was the name given to the most elite fighting unit within Shinra. From Aerith's information, Soldier's were humans that had been infused with Mako in order to increase their physical prowess to extreme levels. From what Naruto had been told, he assumed Mako acted like a stimulant or drug that empowered the person who was injected with it.

"What makes you think I would be in soldier?" he asked with some amusement.

"Your eyes," Aerith said. "They have the same glow that members of soldier have, or at least they look very similar. They don't have the green tint I'm used to, but they glow with the same repressed power."

"Well, I've never been injected with mako," Naruto said. "The power I possess is all my own. Something I earned through blood, sweat and training."

"Oh..."

A comfortable silence settled over to two of them for a few moments, before Aerith spoke up again. "So your really not from this world?"

"That would be my guess," Naruto said. "Though how I got here is still up for debate." His shoulders sagged a little, without knowing how he came to be here, there was no way he could go back home. Even with all his skill in space-time manipulation there was very little chance of him finding a way back to the Elemental Nations. After all, it was hard to fix a problem if you didn't know what caused it in the first place.

Aerith seemed to sense his inner turmoil because she placed a hand on his back and rubbed it reassuringly. "I'm sorry, it must be hard for you. Not knowing whether you'll ever be able to see your friends again."

"Well, that's at least not something I'll have to worry about," Naruto muttered, mostly to himself though Aerith still heard it. "All my friends are dead."

"Oh Gaia! I'm so sorry," Aerith apologized, feeling terrible for bringing up the death of his friends. "Had I known that I wouldn't have – "

"It's fine," Naruto interrupted the girl before she could go any further. "It happened a few years ago, so I've long since gotten used to it." Numb to it was a better expression, but he didn't want to let some random girl, no matter how nice into his heart so easily. Not after all he had suffered through.

"Maybe it's a good thing you came here then," said Aeirth, trying to look at the positive side of things. When Naruto looked at her she smiled. "I mean, now that your in a new place it means you can start over, start from scratch. You know?"

Naruto didn't honestly think he could ever truly start over. The memories of his long dead friends would always leave a gaping hole in his heart that could never be filled. The faces of the men he had killed for the sake of peace would forever haunt his dreams. And no matter how hard he tried to forget, he knew that the betrayal of the man he had considered a brother would continue to leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

Still, maybe he could do something in this new world. Affect some kind of positive change. Naruto had never been one to just give up, and he knew that his friends would never forgive him if he did. They had sacrificed their lives so that he could live, and giving in would be a betrayal of their memories.

He wasn't sure what he could do just yet, but he knew that it would likely have something to with fighting. Really, it was the only thing he was good at. He may not have been the best ninja right after graduation, but the years after, during his time as a genin he had begun to grow by leaps and bounds. And during the war, when he had decided to get involved, Naruto had been the single most powerful entity during the conflict on the alliance side.

_'Maybe I would make a good mercenary,'_ he mused. In the Elemental Nations mercenary's had been rare. Not only did they have to compete with the Hidden Villages, but they were also forced to contend with missing ninja and wandering Samurai. Because of that most mercenary's never made it far in the Elemental Nations, though he had heard they thrived in the eastern lands.

He gave Aerith a small smile. "Maybe your right. I've got some pretty useful skills, I'm sure I can find something to do in this world."

"That's the spirit!" Aerith cheered. Standing up she grabbed his hand and helped him up to. "Now come on, we need to get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'll show you around Sector Five."

Naruto followed the suddenly happy and excited girl inside. As he did he couldn't help but wonder what this new world had in store for him.

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>It was early the next morning that Naruto woke up. Truth be told it was kind of hard to tell since there was no sky for him to determine the time, but having long since kept to a strict schedule and having not needed much sleep as he got older, the blond shinobi's internal clock always woke him up around 0400.<p>

Getting out of the bed Elmyra had given him, Naruto got dressed and made his way downstairs. He noticed that no one was awake yet, and decided that now would be a good time to find a place where he could see whether or not he still had his abilities despite being in another world.

Naruto made his way outside, and after a bit of thinking, walked over to the area that had the large ring of flowers. He moved to the back, where a large cliff wall stopped anyone from going further. Anyone other than Naruto that is. Channeling chakra to the bottom of his feet, the blond shinobi placed one foot on the solid surface, then the other. Once he was sure he would not fall he began moving up the surface of the cliff.

_So I still have my chakra control abilities,_ Naruto thought to himself. And if he could walk on walls then he could walk on water as well.

When he got to the top he took a moment to look around. It was just a large plane of dirt and sedement, which was perfect for his purpose.

Holding out his hand, Naruto channeled chakra into it, focusing the moving his energy in multiple circles centered around an nexis. Once that was accomplished he began adding more power to it, then adding control to maintain the shape. Naruto smiled as he held a perfect baseball sized rasengan in his hand.

Dissipating the shape manipulation technique, Naruto made a cross seal with his hands and muttered, "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu." There was a cloud of smoke, and when it cleared Naruto saw a perfect copy of himself standing there. The blond nodded in satisfaction and was just about to dispel the clone when he noticed something different.

He could see from two different perspectives. He saw himself staring at his clone, and his clone staring at himself. It was a weird phenomena and after a second of having realized what he was seeing, Naruto was forced to dispel the clone due to the headache seeing from two different perspectives was causing him.

Frowning the blond sat down for a moment as he tried to figure out what this meant. The Kage Bunshin No Jutsu was a clone technique in which the users chakra was evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones were capable of performing techniques on their own and could even bleed, but would usually disperse after one or two solid blows. They could also disperse on their own. When created the clones would be created in roughly the same condition as the original.

The characteristic that was unique to the Shadow Clone Technique was that any experience the clones gained during their existence was transferred to the user once they are dispersed. This made the technique ideal for spying, since the user can simply send a clone to spy on a target, then have the clone disperse itself without returning to pass the information back to the user. Any extra chakra the clone had when it dispersed was also returned to the original.

It was also useful for training purposes, since the total amount of experience the user gains was multiplied by the total number of clones being used to train. For example, if a user created one shadow clone and trained together with this clone for 1 hour, then dispelled the clone, the user gains 2 hours of training in 1 hour by adding the hours of clone and the user together. While the technique could be extremely beneficial, attempting to use multiple clones for training purposes was also mentally harmful to the user, as not only is all the experience collected by the user, but so is all the mental stress from training each clone.

Naruto had used this method of training many times in the past. During the war, when the alliance was in a stalemate with Madara and his forces, the blond shinobi who had already earned a fearsome reputation thanks to his new-found control of the Kyuubi at that time, had periodically traveled to Mount Myoboku for several months at a time and used the Mass Kage Bunshin training method to speed up his progress by several thousand times. Essentially getting nearly one hundred years worth of experience, knowledge and jutsu down in just under two years.

In all the times he had used it, Naruto had never connected with a clone like he had done with the one he just made. The ability actually reminded him of Pain's – and later on Madara's – paths, which allowed for overlapping site in the same way.

_'I'm going to need to test this ability later on,' _Naruto decided. He would begin the process of acclimating himself the clones overlapping field of vision, adding another clone each time he grew used to the extra set of eyes.

The next process Naruto decided to try was to see if he could use any of his elemental jutsu. He didn't want to freak out Aerith and Elmyra by shooting out a large fire dragon or something equally destructive, so he decided to go with something small. "Katon: Kaijin No Jutsu." he sucked in a shallow breath and blew out a small stream of fire.

Or at least he tried to.

Naruto frowned as he got nothing, not even a puff of smoke for his efforts. Deciding to see if it was a fluke, Naruto tried again, this time with hand seals.

Still nothing.

Growling Naruto began to attempt more jutsu only to fail. Lightning, water, wind, fire, earth, none of them worked. In his frustration he attempted to use the sub elements, something he had accomplished after talking with Mei and a few other gekkei kenkei users when he had come up with the theory that anyone could use sub elements, but bloodline's made them more indisposed to them and gave them special attacks that couldn't be used by anyone else.

When he still got nothing Naruto growled in anger before taking a deep breath and trying to sort out what the problem was. Sitting down in a cross-legged position the blond shinobi closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. During his Sennin training with Fukusaku-Sama and Shima-Sama, Naruto had learned more then just the arts of the Gama-Sennin. He had also learned how to get in touch with his chakra, to truly feel it as it flowed through his body.

Naruto let his subconscious move through his body, sensing out his chakra pathways. A frown marred his face as his senses told him something was different with his chakra.

Chakra (チ_chakura_) was essential to even the most basic technique; it was the molding of the physical energy (_shintai enerugī_) present in every cell of the body and the spiritual energy (_seishin enerugī_) gained from exercise and experience. Once molded, it could be channelled through the chakra circulatory system, which is to chakra as the regular circulatory system is to blood, to any of the 361 chakra points (called tenketsu) in the body. Through various methods, the most common of which is hand seals, the chakra can then be manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water, exhaling fire or creating illusions.

Tenketsu (点穴"Chakra Points"; Literally meaning "Pressure points") are simply nodes from which chakra can be released. There are 361 tenketsu in the body, each one a checkpoint on the Chakra Pathway System. Though ninja use chakra regularly, very few ninja possess any great control over their tenketsu. Even jōnin are only capable of releasing a small amount of chakra through their hands or feet to increase the power of punches, jumps, or kicks.

Chakra Pathway System (経_Keirakukei_;"Chakra Network"; Literally meaning "Meridian System") was the term for the channels within the body that transfer and channel chakra. Simply put they served the same function for chakra as _blood vessels_ do for blood. Along the chakra pathways, there 361 nodes called tenketsu that control the flow of chakra like circuit breakers, and within those tenketsu are Eight Gates which control body function and strain levels.

The Eight Gates are eight specific points on a person's Chakra Pathway System. They limit the overall flow of chakra within a person's body. The basis for the idea of the chakra gates comes from the body's limits on the functions within it. This makes the body much weaker, but it keeps the body from expiring too soon. By undergoing intense training, one can learn how to open these gates allowing the user to surpass their own physical limits at the cost of extreme damage to their own bodies.

The Eight Inner Gates were near the start of the chakra system, which was roughly located near a persons center of gravity. Most people never got a feel for the 'core' of their chakra, the place where their power came from. While the Hyuuga did, thanks in no small part to their Byakugan, only those who trained extensively in feeling chakra or sensors had any luck in seeing their core.

Naruto, through training had gained that capability. It had been thanks to his ability to see his chakra core that led him to discovering the ability to manipulate the sub elements. By becoming so intimate with his chakra's core he had gained Phenomenal control over his vast reserves of chakra and was able to sense what type of element he was changing his chakra nature too. This had allowed him to manipulate his own core and chakra nature until he became capable of combining two different chakra natures into one, thus creating the sub elements.

Now however, Naruto could not feel his core anymore. He still had chakra, could still feel it flowing through his body. But his chakra core and the Eigth Gates were gone.

It took a great will of effort not to panic at this revelation. Keeping his focus, Naruto dove himself even deeper into his chakra network. After several minutes of feeling its flow, he noticed something that his initial scans had not.

His chakra was not flowing out from his core. It should have been obvious, given that his core seemed to have disappeared. Wanting to see where his chakra was now coming from, he followed the flow through his bodies network and discovered, much to his surprise, that his chakra was flowing out from his left arm.

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at his arm, still keeping his concentration on his chakra the blond noticed the small bright glow coming from inside of his forearm. He let his fingers run over the glowing ball and blinked in surprise when his fingers moved through his skin. Frowning, Naruto repeated this process several times before sticking his fingers all the way into his arm.

It was an odd experience, both watching what was happening and what he was feeling. His eyes could literally see his hand inside of his arm, a black form against the now white and semi-translucent forearm. He could see it clutching the odd glowing ball, and could feel it as a small tingle in his arm. On instinct, Naruto pulled the small orb out and studied it.

The orb looked like some kind of round gem, reminding him of the bauble Aerith had in her hair. It was a stormy gray color and glowed with an inner light. He was unsure just what the gem was, but he could easily tell that whatever it was, it was the object that allowed him to use his chakra abilities.

With a sigh Naruto placed the orb back into his arm and stood up. He was unsure how much time had past but it was likely around two or three hours. Aerith was probably waking up by now and would not doubt wonder where he was. He decided it would probably be a good idea to head back now, and return to do more tests later.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Aerith woke up with a light lawn. Sitting up in her bed she stretched her hands above her head and her legs out as far as they would go. Looking over at her clock she saw that it was 0800, around the time she usually got up. Getting out from under the covers she stood up and made her way out of her room.<p>

Her first destination was the restroom. It was a very simple and basic room, with a small sink, toilet and single shower. It wasn't very large, but considering where they lived it was better than what most people had.

She turned on the water and quickly stripped herself of her pink nighty. Stepping into the water Aerith ignored how cold it was, having grown used to it through out the years. The Slums weren't given any of the energy the Mako Reactors brought to Midgar, and so those few who had appliances like heaters, stoves and other objects that required power had to find an alternate means. Unfortunately those means were expensive and her mother had only been able to afford two heaters for the appliance downstairs and the fans that kept the house cool.

As Aerith scrubbed herself down with a bar of soap, her thoughts turned to the young man who had fallen into her lap quite literally. This was the second time it happened and she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this was the way she was destined to meet all the men she knew. The thought made her giggle a little, even though it brought an equal amount of sadness as it did happiness.

Maybe it was because she was in the shower, or perhaps it was just a bi-product of thinking about men, but her thoughts quickly turned to the first time she had seen Naruto awake. More specifically how she had seen him almost nude.

She banished the blush as it made its way across her face. While she had never really had any experience with men, having only had one boyfriend, she had never been a shy girl. Nor was she naive. Aerith had been too some of the other sectors and even been top-side, so she had seen some of the less... scrupulous people that could be found in Midgar, though not quite as up close as she had seen Naruto.

Shaking her head – and flinging water off her hair in the process – Aerith quickly shut down all thoughts on men and half naked men and decided to instead focus on cleaning herself. Once done with her shower she turned off the water and stepped out. Grabbing two towels, one to dry her hair and the other to dry her body, Aerith proceeded to do just that. She wrapped the towel she used to dry off her body around herself and the one for her hair was likewise used in a similar respect.

She opened the door to the room and looked out. Seeing no sign of Naruto, she assumed he was still asleep and made her way back to her room. It didn't take long for her to get dressed in her usual outfit, though brushing and plating her hair was a bit of a hassle. Once she determined that she was all set and ready to go, Aerith made her way out of her bedroom and over to Naruto's room.

Opening the door she said, "good morning, Naruto. I thought I would – huh?" blinking several times it took a moment to realize that Naruto was not in the room. Even the bed was made. "I hope he didn't leave," she muttered, closing the door. "I told him I was going to show him around today."

Thankfully she found Naruto had not left, and was in fact working the stove while a slightly disgruntled Elmyra watched on from the table. "Good monring Naruto! Mom!" Aerith greeted in a friendly, if somewhat curious voice. "Naruto, what are you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm making breakfast," the blond shinobi replied as he expertly flipped whatever it was he was making, then put the pan back on the stove and went over to a juicer where he squeezed some of the oranges she had managed to grow.

Slightly confused Aerith looked over at her mother who noticed her gaze. The woman shrugged helplessly, "I was making breakfast when he came in and insisted that he do it as a way of thanking me."

"She tried to argue but I'm a lot more stubborn then she is," Naruto commented as he came out of the kitchen. Aerith couldn't help but admire the blonds sense of balance as he carried a large plate of toast that looked like it had been dipped in caramel, a pitcher of orange juice, and three glasses. Setting down the toast and the glasses he poured some orange juice into the glasses and passed one each to Elmyra and Aerith. Then he used a fork and dished them both up with two pieces of the toast.

Now that Aerith could see it more closely she noticed that it was a lot different then normal toast. In fact it looked nothing like toast with the soul exception being that it was made from bread. It looked like it had been dipped into some kind of batter and then cooked. As Aerith looked at it curiously, Naruto sat down. "It's been a little while sense I cooked but let me know what you think."

"What is it?" asked Aerith, picking at it with her fork. It certainly smelled good, but she didn't know what it was, and therefore not sure whether or not to eat it.

"It's called French Toast," Naruto said. "I have no clue why it's named that, but back where I come from this is one of many kinds of breakfast meals we have. It's made by dipping bread in eggs mixed with milk, butter, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, then cooked over an open stove until set."

Aerith still wasn't sure what it was, but given what it was made from it sounded good. It would also be rude if she didn't try some. Taking a piece off with her knife and sticking it with her fork, the brunette woman brought a piece of it to her mouth.

"Mmmm!" Aerith's eyes widened as she chewed on the piece. Swallowing she looked over at Naruto, eyes still wide. "It's really good! I mean, really, really good!"

"I have to agree with Aerith," Elmyra commented. "Would you mind giving me the recipe?"

"Not at all," Naruto said with a pleasant smile, it was good to be appreciated for something other then his ability to kill. His friends, what friends he had that hadn't died during the war, had loved his cooking. He remembered Chouji had proclaimed him a cooking god and said that if he ever didn't want to be Hokage he could open up a restaurant. "I'll write the recipe down after cleaning up the dishes."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Elmyra said. "You made us breakfast so let me do the dishes." Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but the motherly woman gave him 'the look', the one that all woman give to their sons, brothers, uncles, fathers, grandfathers, significant others or just any male period that warned them they were crossing a line that should never be crossed. Thankfully, Naruto was not as ignorant about women as he used to be.

"If you insist," he said, his voice slightly fearful.

Elmyra just smiled. "I do."

Naruto sighed in relief as he felt the odd non-killing killing intent leave. He perked up after a few seconds and turned to Aerith who was surprisingly on her fourth piece of French Toast. "Hey Aerith, I was wondering..." when the young woman looked at him he pointed to her hair. "What is that gem in your hair."

Aerith finished swallowing her last bite and set down her fork. "You mean this?" her hand went to the white orb in her hair.

"Yes."

"This is my materia..." she noticed the blank look on his face and realized he likely had no clue what materia was. "Materia are special that can be equipped into objects and allow people to use magic."

"Magic? Like wizard magic?" asked Naruto.

"Not like those cheesy magic TV shows," Aerith said, rolling her eyes. "It allows various abilities. I've heard of Materia allowing people to shoot fireballs, or freeze people, heal, some I've heard can even summon powerful creatures to fight for you. Although," she giggled slightly, "mine is different. It's good for absolutely nothing."

"Then why do you keep it?" asked Naruto curiously.

"It belonged to my mother."

"Mother?" he looked over at Elmyra questioningly.

"I'm not her real mother," she explained upon noticing his questioning glance. "Her real mother was... well, she's gone and I found Aerith and decided to take care of her."

"Oh..." Naruto winced. He felt like an asshole for bringing this up now. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Aerith said. "Mom returned to the planet so it's fine." Naruto blinked at the – once again – strange reference to the planet, like it was a conscious entity. He thought about questioning her, but before he could say anything Aerith stood up. "I can't believe I forgot!" she looked at Naruto, "wait right here!"

Naruto and Elmyra watched as the young woman raced out of the room. He looked over at Elmyra who merely shook her head and smiled. A few seconds later Aerith returned holding a large basket filled with what Naruto recognized as Materia. She set it down on the table and smiled. "I found these on your person when you dropped out of the sky. I was going to give them to you when you woke up, but I was so surprised at you doing so so soon and forgot."

"It's fine..." Naruto said absently, most of his attention being focused on the Materia. He couldn't be positive, but had a feeling that if she had found these on him, then these Materia contained the rest of his abilities. He would have to go through them some time soon.

Aerith clapped her hands, getting Naruto's attention as she gave him a sweet smile. "Well, now that we're both awake and all fed, why don't I show you around like I promised."

Naruto smiled at the girl and stood up. He decided that going through the Materia could wait until after Aerith's tour.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"And this is the gate that leads to the Market place, that's a fun place because of all the stories you can find there. It also leads to the upper plate. And that hole in the wall over there leads to Sector Six." Naruto couldn't help but smile as he listened to Aerith as she told him everything she could about the Slums of Sector 6. Every place in the small town held some kind of story about something she did. He also noticed that Aerith seemed to be very well liked by the people they met, everyone would smile and greet her like a long-lost friend.<p>

He also noticed that they didn't seem to like him. There was no outright hostility or hatred like he had been forced to deal with when growing up in Konoha, but he could feel a distinct lack of trust coming from the residence of Sector five. "I don't think they like me very much," Naruto said to Aerith, who had just stopped telling him about how she had climbed onto the roof of the small item shop they were in front of.

"I wouldn't worry about," she told him with a smile. "They're just not used to outsiders is all. We don't get too many new faces around here, so when someone does show up people tend to get suspicious."

"I gotcha," Naruto said. It wasn't a big deal anyways. He had dealt with far worse and come out on top and well loved, he was positive he could do the same thing here and it would take even less time.

"C'mon," she said, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the exit to the town. "There's another place I want to show you."

Naruto began walking himself, partly so she wouldn't drag him and make him trip, but also so he could keep up with her as she walked. As they left the town the blond took in his surroundings with sharp eyes. The place they were entering looked a lot like a junkyard, with piles of garbage and twisted looking metal structures. It reminded him of the junk heap in Konoha that he had been forced to go to in order to find his beat up appliances.

He looked ahead to see where Aerith was leading him, and found himself staring at a large structure. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but given the stained glass windows – what was left of them – it looked like some kind of religious place. The roof was slanted and tiled, and the body was made of large sandstone bricks. One side had all kinds of rubble and refuse leaning against like a large mountain. Despite being more or less ruins, the place held a tranquil quality to it.

Inside the Church were several rows of wooden benches, most were in poor condition and looked to be falling apart. There were large columns on either side of the room, holding the roof up. At the far end of the room there was a door, and in the center was a small patch of vibrant looking flowers. Sunlight was streaming through a small hole in the roof, lighting up the flowers beautifully. Naruto couldn't help but wonder how there was any sunlight at all with the giant plate blocking out the sun.

"This is my private spot," Aerith said, walking further into the room. "I come here often to tend to the flowers. It's nearly impossible to grow them in the slums, but for some reason they grow here just fine." She gave Naruto a smile as she pointed to a small spot where the blond see a slight indention in the plant-life. "And that's where you fell."

Naruto blinked as he looked between the flowers and the roof, noticing that the hole correlated rather well with the small dent in the flower bed. "And I'm guessing I created that hole, huh?" he scratched his neck in a sheepish gesture. "Sorry about that."

Aerith giggled behind her hand at his embarrassed gesture. "It's fine," she said, "the flowers here are very resilient. She walked up to him until she standing right in front of him and spread her arms in an encompassing gesture. "So what do you think?"

"It's beautiful," Naruto admitted. "I can see why you like this place, it's rather tranquil." Even his troubled soul couldn't help but feel at peace in this place."

The smile Aerith gave him lit up the entire room and Naruto couldn't help but smile as well. There was something odd about this girl, she seemed capable of putting his mind at ease without really trying. A feat in and of itself since he hadn't felt this relaxed since before the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

"So Naruto, what do you do?"

Naruto blinked. "You mean like my job?"

"Of course!"

He gave her an indulgent smile. "I'm a ninja."

"Ninja?" Aerith pressed an index finger to her cheek and adopted a cute look of contemplation. "Like those people from Wutai?"

"I don't know what Wutai is," Naruto said with a shrug. "I come from a village known as Konoha, or the Village Hidden in the Leaves. My village, along with several others were ninja villages, and were military villages with a small percentage of civilians who lived there under our protection. Our forces consisted of a large group of tens of thousands of ninja who would take on job requests from people who wanted our help; anything from simple chores like mowing the lawn to assassination of high profile targets. You name it we did it, for the right price."

"So you guys were like soldier," Aerith said.

"In a way," Naruto agreed. "But in a way not. Unlike Soldier, which works for Shinra and just Shinra, our village took mission requests from all over. So long as the mission requested would not harm an allied village and would benefit Konoha we would take it. Ninja were trained from a young age in combat and ninjutsu, ninja arts that helped enhance our abilities. I myself had been trained since five in combat."

"That sounds so horrible," Aerith said, her face taking on a pale hue. "To train kids at such a young age to fight."

Naruto shrugged. "It's just the way things were. The Hidden Villages were always in a constant state of on and off warfare, so we had to train at a young age to keep our forces up and protect our home. None of us really thought about how bad we had it." He stopped when he noticed Aerith was getting uncomfortable and decided a change in subject was appropriate. "So what do you do?"

"I sell flowers," Aerith said, glad for the change of subject as she began telling Naruto about her profession as a flower girl.

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>The days began to pass quickly as Naruto got used to living with Aerith and her mother. During that time Naruto had taken to studying the Materia that the self-proclaimed flower girl of Sector Five had found on him.<p>

His initial hunch about the Materia being where all of his skills went had been correct. Naruto had found that certain Materia had correlated with certain skills. Each Materia held the knowledge of his jutsu, his gray one holding all of his shape manipulation techniques like the Rasengan and the Kage Bunshin No Jutsu. The others held his elemental jutsu, one for earth, another for fire, wind, water, lightning, ice, lava, dust, sand, wood, blaze, storm, crystal, boil, dark, steel, swift, and magnetism. He even had two Materia for Yin and Yang release. Twenty Materia, each holding his abilities and jutsu.

Through experimentation Naruto had learned several things about these Materia. The first was that they could not be equipped onto a weapon like Aerith said most normal Materia were equipped. Naruto had to place them directly into his own body in order to use them, and he could only use one at a time. That fact kind of sucked for Naruto, who realized that it would make things much harder if not impossible to switch Materia during combat. However he figured that so long as he knew what he was getting into he could prepare his Materia in advanced and not have to worry about what type he should use.

There was an upside to having Materia instead of just jutsu. All of the attacks Naruto could use no longer required hand seals, even the ones he had not completely mastered when living in the Elemental Nations. He did notice that the drain on his reserves was noticeably larger, but his ability to replenish chakra was still impressive and while he could no longer shoot S rank techniques out of his ass like nobodies business. He could still throw an unlimited number of B rank techniques non stop for ten hours before his reserves ran dry.

Aside from learning what he was capable of in this world and making sure he stayed in shape, Naruto's life had become relatively peaceful. When he wasn't helping Elmyra around the house he was escorting Aerith to her Church or the upper plate where she sold flowers. It wasn't long before the blond shinobi's soul began to heal from the atrocities he had seen and committed during the war.

Of course, he should have known that the peace he found wouldn't last.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>(Two months after coming to Gaia)<p>

Naruto smiled as he watched Aerith selling flowers a few feet away from him. Despite not too many people buying from her, and the price of the flowers she sold only being one gil it was something the brunette woman enjoyed and that was enough for him.

He was sitting a few feet away, leaning against the wall of a building as he watched her. It was something he found himself doing more and more often, Aerith hadn't noticed yet but the blond shinobi was sure her mother had. Thankfully Elmyra had yet to mention Naruto's lingering gaze on her daughter and even though she hadn't said anything, the blond was sure she wouldn't mind if he and Aerith became something other then friends.

His gaze snapped back to Aerith as she walked over to him. "All done?" he asked, standing up from where he had been sitting and stretching.

"Yup!" Aerith replied with her usual cheer. "I actually made a bit more then usual today. 50 gil!" Considering she only sold one gil per flower fifty gil was actually pretty good. He noticed that her basket was almost empty and smiled.

"I take it they really liked the flowers, then?"

"Yes," Aerith said, nodding her head as they began making their way back towards the entrance to the Slums. "I have to thank you for the new flowers, they're very beautiful and everyone seems to love them."

Naruto grinned, he had learned through experimentation that his Mokuton, or wood release ability no longer related to just Mokuton jutsu. He could also create plants of all kinds, from beautifully crafted roses of the kind he grew for Aerith to extremely deadly and venomous plants. It was a useful ability since even though Naruto hadn't really had to fight much anymore, he refused to let his skills as a ninja get rusty. "I glad," he said, "if we sell like that every day we might even be able to afford some more creature comforts."

Aerith rolled her eyes, "I don't sell these to make money, Naruto."

"I know, I know," Naruto replied, holding up his hands in defense. "I'm just saying..." he trailed off when someone stepped in front of him. The man in front of him was a tall dark-skinned man, he was bald and had a small goatee. He was wearing a rather well tailored dark blue suit, and despite it being dark had a pair of sunglasses on. Aerith quickly hid behind Naruto and he, sensing her fear of the man stood in front of her.

"I hope you have a good reason for bothering us on our way home," Naruto said, an underlying threat in his words.

Rude didn't say anything, however a voice behind the pair brought Naruto's attention around. "We have no reason to bother you," said a man with a lanky physique, unkempt red hair terminating in a long ponytail, and two symmetrical red marks on his cheek bones. He was wearing goggles, pushed up onto his forehead, an unbuttoned suit jacket, and an untucked dress shirt. He had a lazy appearance, but Naruto didn't let that fool him as he spied the Electro-Mag Rod tucked into his belt. "However, we were hoping the young lady would accompany us back to Shinra Headquarters."

Naruto saw Aerith flinch and try and hide further behind him, a futile effort considering they were barricaded in on two sides. However that small act was all the information Naruto needed to act.

"Sorry, but Aerith and I are kind of in a hurry," Naruto said, his tone conversational, as if he weren't talking to two people who were trying to kidnap his first and only friend on Gaia. Under the long sleeve shirt he wore the glow of his Materia went unnoticed. "Maybe some other time gentlemen."

"Well you see now that's too bad," the red head said. "Because we were ordered to bring her in. President Shinra says he let her go long enough and wants her to come back _home._"

"That place isn't my home," Aerith said and Naruto was actually surprised by the venom in her voice. Though he also knew it was just masking how scared she was. Which was also a surprise since he had never seen Aerith get scared of anything before. "And I won't go back."

"Well there you have it gentlemen," Naruto said. "She apparently doesn't like it there. Now I suggest you leave before I decide to shove my off foot in your ass."

"Man, would you listen to this kid Rude?" said the red head as he pulled out his Electro-Mag rod. He flicked his wrist and the rod extended, sparking as it turned on. "Looks like someone needs to teach this punk a lesson."

"I think the only people who are going to get taught a lesson are you two," Naruto said. "A lesson of what happens when you threaten my precious people. Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" phasing into existence right next to the blond ninja were too solid clones. Thanks to his training Naruto became capable of using more then one clone to fight with, though anymore then two and his brain would overload with information. The two clones charged the surprised Shinra agents, who had little time to react as the blond copies smashed a fist into their respective faces.

"What the Fuck!" the red head shouted as he scrambled back to his feet after the hit bowled him over. He moved his jaw around, trying to get feeling back into it. It felt like someone that punch had broken it. This kid had some strength, and what was with these copies? He looked at the blond to see he was just standing there, as if waiting for something. The man scowled. "Whatever, I'm gonna teach you a lesson punk!"

Rushing Naruto the red head came in swinging. His strikes were rather quick, it was obvious to the blond that this man didn't rely on brute strength but speed to attack. The Electro-Mag Rod was probably to make up for the lack of damage he could do when attacking.

Naruto dodged the mans attempts to hit him, he may be fast but his speed was nothing compared to Maito Gai, Rock Lee or A, all of whom had a hand in creating and training Naruto's taijutsu. As he continued to dodge the blond became curious about the Rod and it's capabilities. Wanting to see what kind of damage it did he didn't dodge the next attack and blocked it instead. He winced a bit as the shock hit him, but didn't react otherwise. The attack hurt that was for sure, and would likely paralyse anyone else, but it wouldn't be enough to put him down.

Naruto smiled. During his time training with the clones he had learned some rather interesting things about them. The first was they were much more durable then the ones he had made previously. They worked in the exact same way, splitting up his chakra evenly amongst however many he made. However these clones were as solidly built as his own body, right down to his regenerative-healing factor. They could take just about any beating someone could dish out, Naruto knew this as he had put it to the test.

There was a downside however, whatever the clones felt so did Naruto. So if a clone got stabbed in the heart and died, Naruto would feel as if someone had stabbed him in the heart. It was a trade-off for the durability and since the blond had a ridiculously high threshold for pain thanks to numerous stab, burn and jutsu wounds, he could take most attacks, even fatal ones without flinching.

Another ability he had noticed with his clones is that he had some semblance of control over them. He couldn't control their every movement, given that he had to move himself and controlling one of his clones would force him to focus all of his attention on that clone. But he could give them mental commands and coordinate with them to an extreme degree. It wouldn't be idle boasting to say that the teamwork Konoha was so proud of had nothing on him and his replications teamwork abilities.

Having seen all he needed to about the red heads abilities Naruto proceeded to begin his own attack. The red head suddenly found himself on the defensive as Naruto came in with blinding fast attacks, using mainly his feet to strike, while his hands kept the man's weapon occupied.

It wasn't long before the red head found himself being overwhelmed. _'Shit!'_ he thought as he ended up getting hit solidly in the gut after having blocked a high kick to his face. _'This kid moves like lightning! Who the hell is he!'_

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Like his counter-part the other Naruto clone was testing out the capabilities of the man called Rude. <em>'This guys mother must have hated him to give him such a name,'<em> the blond thought as he dodged another attack. Unlike the red head, who relied on speed to hit his enemies and his taser to do the rest, Rude used heavy hits that were much more powerful and actually capable of inflicting some pain if they hit. However like the red head, who Naruto decided to call red simply for the sake of consistancy, Rude's attacks had there own weakness.

They may be powerful but they were very slow and easy to dodge. And so Naruto danced around the man's punches, smirking the whole while as the mans face became more and more frustrated. When the man began to get sloppy as well as slow, Naruto decided it was time to show him what real strength was.

Letting the next attack come at him he held up a hand, casually catching the fist as if the punch had been thrown by a child. Naruto's smirk became a smile as he saw Rudes eyes widen beneath his sunglasses. "Let me show you how a real punch his thrown," the blond said. Acting to fast for Rude to even see much less follow, Naruto let of his hand and lashed out with quick yet powerful punch.

Never let it be said that Naruto Uzumaki hadn't learned from the best. With people like Lee, Gai and A teaching him taijutsu the blond had become a monster in hand-to-hand combat. When the war came to a head his speed was said to have rivaled his father, and the power behind his attacks was second only to A when using his Raiton No Yoroi.

However they hadn't been his only teachers in taijutsu, and Naruto, who had wanted – needed to be the most powerful shinobi he could, went to the one person who could help his already great natural strength increase phenomenally.

He had gone to Tsunade.

When Naruto had first gone up to the busty blond Hokage and asked her to teach him the secret to her super strength, Tsunade had laughed at him. Admittedly, while he had been much more powerful then before his chakra control had still sucked, and even though he was better it had not been good enough for her to help teach him her secret strength technique.

But Naruto was stubborn, he had persisted and despite the fact that Tsunade couldn't teach him her super strength, she had been willing to help him come up with something just as good when he needed an extra bang without entering his Sennin-mode or Jinchurikki state.

Working together the two had come up with a suitable substitute. It was not as strong as her strength technique but it worked better then any other strength enhancing jutsu besides his Sennin-mode. By encasing his entire fist in chakra and releasing it upon impact, Naruto got more or less the same effect as Tsunade technique. There were some differences, unlike Tsunade's strength it took around sixteen to twenty times more chakra than hers and because the chakra was equalized through out his entire hand rather then a single tenketsu the attack did not do as much damage. But to Naruto those weaknesses didn't really matter much. He had always had monstrous reserves of chakra, combine that with his ability to restore chakra thanks to the Kyuubi and the cost was negligible to him. That meant the only component Naruto needed to worry about was his timing, and Naruto had great hand-to-eye coordination.

Had Rude been capable of seeing the punch Naruto threw at him, he would have immediately spotted the blue shroud of energy covering the blonds hands. As it was he didn't see it, so when Naruto attacked, not only was Rude not expecting it and therefore incapable of preparing, it was likely he would not have been capable of lessening his injury even had he prepared for the hit.

The attack was launched into Rude's gut and the bald man could have sworn his entire stomach caved in and his rib-cage cracked as his body shook. Then he was sent flying backwards faster then most could throw a baseball. He crashed into the wall, cracking it under the pressure. The wall seemed to cave in as if incapable of holding his weight. Spider web cracks from out from the point of impact. Rude only had a moment to groan before the wall came lose, releasing him to gravity and burying him under a pile of bricks.

Naruto looked away from where the man was burred, he was still alive as the blond could feel his chakra. Even though it was fluctuating he would survive provided he received medical attention. He looked over to see the other clone had already finished Red, the man was slumped against the wall knocked out cold.

The two should be thankful he no longer wished to kill anymore or they would have been dead.

The two Naruto's looked at each other before nodding. A second later, both disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind no evidence that they were there other then the two unconscious men and the ruined wall.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto sighed in relief as his eyesight once again became a single field of vision. How Pain put up with seven Paths was beyond the blond, he could barely stand three!<p>

With the danger gone Naruto looked down at his friend. During his clones attack he had scooped Aerith into his arms and ran up the wall, using his roof hopping ability to get to the Slums entrance. Currently, she was still in his arms, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and her face buried in his shoulder. She looked scared but determined and just the thought that those men were the cause angered him. He didn't know what was going on but he vowed to himself he would get to the bottom of this.

"Aerith," Naruto said softly. "We're safe now, those men aren't here anymore."

"Really?" asked Aerith. She looked up at Naruto and he smiled at her.

"Really." he grinned, "you didn't think they would be able to beat me did you?"

"Of course not," Aerith smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Hey isn't that what the hero is supposed to do?" asked Naruto. "You know, rescue the princess save the day and all that." Aerith giggled lightly and the blond smiled before sighing. "Aerith, I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I was hoping you could shed some light on why those men were after you."

Aerith became silent and buried herself into his shoulder again. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I know, but it may help me protect you better," Naruto said.

"You'll think I'm different."

"You say that like being different is a bad thing," the blond joked. However that seemed to be the wrong thing to say to Aerith and he felt a little nervous when she glared at him.

Aerith never glared.

"I don't want to be different! I want to be normal!"

Naruto sighed, he didn't quite know what was wrong but he could tell it was – in some ways at least – similar to his situation with Kyuubi. He moved over to a large pile of rubble and sat down. Placing the brunette in his lap Naruto secured his arms around her waist and held her close.

"I can understand how you feel," he started. "I know what it's like to be different."

"And what about being looked at like your some kind of science experiment?" asked Aerith bitterly.

"I know how that is too," Naruto said, surprising the girl. What he said was true, both Orochimaru and Kabuto had gained a sick sort of fascination with him during their time in life. He was sure if given the chance they would have happily conducted all kinds of twisted experiments on him. He quickly shook off the disturbing thoughts and continued. "I know what it's like to be different. Where I come from, before I managed to gain any respect people always treated me like I had the plague, like I was some kind of monster that was to be avoided. Even when I was little it was like this. Parents wouldn't let their children play with me, always telling their kids that I was no good and they would be punished if they tried. I had entered the ninja academy in an effort to make people stop ignoring or glaring at me like I had done something wrong, and I had hoped that if the kids were away from their parents I would be able to make friends. I didn't of course."

"By the time the academy started all of the adults had passed there hatred on to their children, and soon enough I was the laughing stock of class. Those who didn't outright ignore me made fun of me, and eventually, I was forced to play the role they had set. I figured, if they were going to just make fun of me anyways, I might as well do something worth being laughed at. So I played a fool, I played pranks, I did anything I could to get attention, because even negative attention was better then none at all."

He looked at Aerith and saw that she was crying. He smiled as he wiped away her tears. "So believe me, I know what it's like to be different. Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Aerith looked at Naruto, glowing blue eyes met emerald green. He really did have the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, even better then...

She shook her head, banishing the thoughts before they could form. Looking at Naruto again she decided then and there that he was trustworthy, enough so she could tell him her deepest secret. The only thing that could cause her to crumble as she had. "I'm not exactly human, not like the other people on Gaia. I'm what's known as a Cetra, or an Ancient..."

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>"You say they were both defeated?"<p>

"Yes sir. We sent Reno and Rude to apprehend the Ancient. However there was a man with her. They claim that he used strange new magic that could create copies of himself to fight and he was able to defeat them both."

"I see... this will put a damper on our plans."

"Should I send more Turks to capture her?"

"No Tseng, we shall leave her for now. It wouldn't be a good idea to try and capture her with such a powerful unknown quantity protecting her. Was there anything else we know about this man?"

"Yes sir, he has spiky blond hair, and glowing blue eyes. Reno thinks he may be an ex-soldier."

"An ex-soldier?"

"Yes sir, however since I only have a basic physical description I can't search the database for him."

"Find out what you can. I want to know as much as possible about this supposed 'soldier'. Once we know who we're dealing with we can take action."

"Very well, President Shinra."

* * *

><p><strong>Here we are, another story. Requirements are as followed:<strong>

**1. Pairing. This is a Naruto/Aerith story. This is completely nonnegotiable! I know that some people dislike her for whatever stupid reason, but I always liked Aerith, even if her tits aren't as big as Tifa's. Now, you can add ONE other female to the pairing if you REALLY need to. But Naruto and Aerith will be together. Period.**

**2. This chapter is set about one year before FF7. What you do with that time is up to you.**

**3. Sasuke Uchiha will be one of the main villains in this story alongside Seperoth. His powers will be restricted similarly to how Naruto's are. How you add him is up to you.**

**4. Naruto is a something of a soldier/ancient Hybrid. Because of his ability to use sage mode he will eventually gain the ability to speak with the planet on a conscious level. This ability cannot be gained until after at least the technical first Disk.**

**Good luck!**


	6. Naruto and Louise the Zero

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Familiar of Zero. Both are owned by other people. Sucks, doesn't it?**

**Summery: When ****Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière** **tried to summon her familiar, she didn't end up with Saito Chevalier de Hiraga from Earth. Instead, she ended up with Uzumaki-Namiaze Naruto, Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure No Saito. Watch out world, change is coming.**

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><p><strong>Familiar of Zero, Samusaraai<strong>

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Summon**

* * *

><p>"This is the first day of your second year exams," said the mage instructor to the many students that were lined up outside of the large castle like building. Among the many students was Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière, a student who had the nickname Louise the zero because she had never been able to cast a spell correctly in her entire time at the academy. "This is also the sacred day where you will all summon your familiar spirit, who you will spend your life with as a part of an aristocratic family."<p>

As Louise listened to mage instructors words her hands were tightly clinching her wand in a fit of nervousness. Behind her, one of the many other students, a girl with dark skin and large breasts smirked and said, "I can't wait to see how _great_ of a familiar spirit you will summon."

Louise grit her teeth as she heard her rivals voice and looked away. "Shut up."

As the time past and more and more people began to summon their familiar spirits, Louise's nerves began to get the best of her. What if she couldn't summon a familiar? She had sounded so confident yesterday when she had confronted Kirche, the large breasted girl that had mocked her the other day, and now she was beginning to regret her words.

Even worse, Kirche had managed to summon a fire salamander. How could she top something like that?

"Is there anyone else who has not yet summoned their familiar?" at the instructors words Louise tried to hide. However, Kirche seemed to want her humiliated.

"Miss Valiere has yet to summon her spirit."

Louise gulped for a moment, before quickly putting on an indifferent facade as she made her way to stand in front of the mage instructor.

"Let's see what you've got Louise," Kirche said as she pat her salamander on the head. "You said you were gonna summon something greater then this boy, right?"

"Of course I am!" Louise said with a haughty expression, though the way her wand was trembling in her hand showed how she really felt. She raised her wand and began to chant, "my slave, who lives somewhere in this universe..." several sweatdrops made there way around the other students at the stupid chant. "Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit! I desire and here I plead from my heart! Answer to my guidance!"

She pointed her wand at the air in front of and for a moment nothing happened, some people were even beginning to laugh and make fun of her. Just as she was about to give up hope there was a large explosion that knocked all of the students, including Louise off her feet. Coughing and hacking many of the students decided that Louise must have failed to summon. However, when the smoke cleared everyone saw that Louise had summoned something.

...or to be more specific, _someone._

**THLZ**

Two years. It had been two years since the start of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. The battle fought had been long and hard, with many of the five great nations alliance shinobi dying. However, through those hardships the survivors managed to persevere and fought tooth and nail to defeat the forces of Akatsuki, the Zaetsu clones and resurrected shinobi led by Tobi.

Kabuto, the man who had used the forbidden jutsu Edo Tensei (Impure World Resurrection) was dead, killed last year by the revived Itachi who managed to lose the controls placed on him thanks to the eye of Shisui Uchiha that he had implanted into Naruto. Since then, all of the resurrected ninja in Tobi's army, including the likes of the last kage's and even Uchiha Madara were sealed away.

And now the last battle to end the war was being fought by three powerful forces.

A now seventeen year old Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto panted as he faced the two enemies in front of him, two of the greatest enemies he had ever fought. Uchiha Sasuke, and Tobi and his six paths.

Much had changed in the young man's life since Jiraiya had taken him on that three year training trip, and even more had changed during his time spent in the village. With Jiraiya as a teacher Naruto's skills had sky rocketed, the man had learned early on that Naruto learned by doing, which had been the whole reason he couldn't learn anything in a class room. So he had the young boy work himself to the bone, lecturing and quizzing Naruto while his young student did intensive physical training. Naruto's training took an even larger boost when the young ninja had learned the secret to Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) Training. In just three short years, Naruto had gone from a genin who won all of his battles on luck and determination, to a jonin level ninja that was on par with the likes of Hatake Kakashi.

His increased abilities as a shinobi were not the only change he had gone through however. No longer was he wearing the orange jumpsuit of his youth. Having lost the need to seek attention through acts of stupidity and bright clothing, Naruto's new outfit reflected his change of attitude. He now wore black pants, a skin-tight sleeveless shirt of the same color, black shinobi sandals with dull gray shin-guards, forearm guards of the same color with the leaf insignia on them, gloves with metal plates that had an Uzumaki swirl adorning it, and a white haori with a red flame pattern licking the bottom. On the back was the Kanji for Rokudaime Hokage (Sixth Fire Shadow), which he received after gaining the title of Hokage from Tsunade before she had died last year.

Though his clothing looked like they had seen better days. There were tears running all along his shirt and haori, his pants were torn, with one end having been ripped off at the knees. Scuffs and burn marks were running all along the fabrics of his clothes, and they were splashed red with his blood and those of his enemies.

The battle so far had been devastating, tearing up much of the landscape and creating a new valley, much like the battle between Senju Hasharima and Uchiha Madara had done in their legendary fight so long ago.

So far Naruto had been able to hold his own, even managed to destroy five of Tobi's six paths. However, his victories had cost much and were beginning to take a toll on his body. Not that this meant he would give up. Most of Akatsuki was gone, destroyed, and Naruto knew that if these two didn't die today they would just build another Akatsuki in the shadows and bring more death and destruction to the world.

"You should just give up, Uzumaki," Tobi said mockingly. "You have fought admirably and showed you truly deserve the title of Rokudaime Hokage. However, even you can not defeat the two of us."

"You obviously haven't learned your lessons yet," Naruto said, his breathing beginning to get heavy. He cursed, almost wishing he had brought back up, but quickly shook the thought away. Anyone else entering this battle would have just gotten in the way, and the other kage's were all too injured from previous battles to fight. He would do this on his own, he _could_ do this on his own.

In this battle there was no room for failure.

"You should already know that an Uzumaki never gives up!"

"Hnnn, just what I would expect from you, Naruto," said Sasuke with a sneer. "I hope you've said your goodbyes, because that foolish attitude of yours will become your death sentence."

"Not from you it won't!"

channeling chakra to the bottom of his feet Naruto charged forward, appearing next to Sasuke and Tobi in less then a second. The younger of the two Uchiha jumped away at the last second as Naruto sent a punch sailing towards him, while Tobi simply allowed the fist to be phased through him. A kusarigama was unsealed from a seal somewhere on the masked Uchiha and sent sailing towards Naruto who made quick use of the Kawarimi to escape.

However, Naruto was soon met with Tobi's remaining path, the one that Killer Bee had told him was the previous host for the Nibi. The Nibi path launched a devastating series of punches and kicks, many of which were dodged or blocked by the blond Hokage, but several of them weren't. Each time Naruto received a hit, a large black and blue bruise would appear on his skin.

Not to say that he was defeated. Naruto gave as good as he got, sending a flurry of punches towards the nibi path, who used her flexibility to move around the hits. But even to this day Naruto was known for being one of the most unpredictable ninja, and when he was sure that the nibi path had picked up on his routine switched his attack pattern, going from straight forward jabs and kicks to a stunning display of of erratic combinations using fists, feet, knees and elbows. In the end he managed to land several powerful blows on the path, the last one being a head butt.

The two jumped away from each other to gain some distance, though it only lasted a second before they were back to pulverizing each other. Sasuke used Naruto's battle with the nibi path as a distraction to launch a large fireball at Naruto. The Nibi path jumped away just in time to avoid being hit.

Naruto, who was weakened from the battle against two high level opponents did not. The fireball smashed into him, sending the young Hokage flying. As his eyes began to close, the last thing he saw before darkness claimed him was a glowing white energy in the shape of an oval.

**THLZ**

"Look at... that..."

Louise couldn't help but gape at the thing she had summoned, or rather the person she had summoned. It was young man, who looked to be around the age of seventeen. His hair was made of a brilliant golden blond, it almost seemed as if the spiky strands reflected the sun itself. Two jaw length bangs framed an admittedly handsome face that held three odd whisker marks that moved horizontally across each cheek.

However, more importantly then that was the shape he was in. his clothing had been ripped to shreds and there was blood all over them and his body. Which was odd because she couldn't see any cuts on him. Though there was a nasty looking burn on his torso, yet even as she stared at him she could see it healing before her eyes. Sizzling and hissing as steam poured from the burn before it disappeared all together, leaving unblemished skin.

Louise blinked several times as she stared at the strange man in front of her. "This... this can't be my familiar, can it?"

**THLZ**

Naruto awoke to the sound of incessant giggling. Frowning, the blond shinobi opened his eyes, only to close them immediately after when the light burned his retina. For a moment he wondered where he was, and how he got there. Given that he as sore as all hell he knew he wasn't dead, but that just left him more confused. Had the shinobi alliance gone against his wishes and gone to rescue him?

Sighing he decided to use his other senses to figure out where he was.

During his training with Jiraiya one of the many skills he had learned was the ability to _see_ everything around him without using his eyes. This was done by spreading his wind chakra out in a bubble that varied in size depending on the amount of chakra he put into it, and worked by connecting to his senses, enhancing them nearly a hundred fold thereby allowing him to create a literal map of his surroundings within his mind. It was a very chakra intensive technique, and one only he had been capable of using.

With his chakra being spread out in a fifteen meter radius Naruto was able to clearly tell he was in a room, a decently sized room with one bed, which he was lying on, a table with two chairs a little ways away, a nightstand right next to him, an armoire on the wall on the opposite side of the bed, and two girls who were standing over him.

Wait. What?

Opening his eyes much more slowly this time Naruto had to blink in surprise as he came upon the sight of a beautiful female with dark skin, red hair, amber eyes and a large bust. Were it not for the fact that Naruto hadn't been a virgin after losing it to Koyuki during the time he had visited her when on his training trip with Jiraiya, and had had sex many times after that and so was no longer really bothered by such notions, he dared say he would have been blown by from a nosebleed at the sight.

"_Oh my, it seems our handsome young man has awoken,"_ she said, causing Naruto to blink at the unusual language. He couldn't understand a word she had said.

"W...who are you?" he asked, and was not surprised to get a confused blink in return. Though he had expected it, he had still hoped that his theory was not the case. He'd never had to deal with a language barrier before.

"_I'm sorry, what did you say?"_ she asked.

Naruto frowned before sitting up, he winced a bit as he felt a slight pain in his abdominal muscles, it was clear that the damage done to him had been extensive enough that even Kyuubi was having problems healing him.

"_Woah! Hey now, take it easy,_" the red haired woman said, and though Naruto didn't understand her he knew from the way she pushed him back down what she was more or less trying to say. _"Even though you've somehow managed to heal most of your wounds your still not fully healed."_

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, even though he knew she couldn't understand him. Whether by instinct or habit he didn't know, maybe it was just a deep seated need to speak even if the person he was talking to couldn't understand him.

Just then the door burst open and a voice shouted, "what are you two doing in my room!"

**THLZ**

Three days. It had been three days since that man she had summoned as her familiar came here. Three days and the blond still hadn't woken up. She was not sure if she could blame him though, while he had that odd magic healing power the amount of damage done to him had been extensive, not on the outside, but on the inside. The amount of damage done to his organs and nervous system had been potentially deadly. Only his odd ability to heal his wounds had saved him.

As she walked back to her room, she absently had to wonder if the boy was a mage. She didn't think he was, his clothes didn't match those of nobility, but they were also far more expensive looking then any peasant could afford. And the fabric used was like nothing she had seen, especially that odd jacket of his.

She was also at a loss of what to do. They had not allowed her to make another attempt at summoning a familiar, and so she had been forced to bond with him, which had been rather gross, mainly because of all of the blood and grime on him at the time. The instructor hadn't even allowed her to make one of the servants clean him before she bonded to him!

She sighed, nothing ever seemed to go her way. There was always something that went wrong whenever she was involved.

As Louise neared her room she frowned at hearing voices inside.

"Oh my, it seems our handsome young man has awoken."

Louise stiffened at hearing Kirche's voice. That meant Kirche was in her room!

She began marching towards her door only to stop at the next voice.

"A... Anatahadaredesu ka?"

It was male, and deep, very rich and with an odd accent. She had never heard a voice quite like that, and she didn't know the language he was speaking either.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

At the sound of Kirche's voice again Louise began stomping towards her door again, ignoring the rest of the conversation going on inside. Smashing the door open she glared at Kirche and her friend Tabitha and shouted, "what are you two doing in my room!"

Kirche blinked as she looked at Louise, before a smile came to her face. "I wasn't doing anything. I just thought that someone should look after our handsome young friend here, since you seem so keen on leaving him alone."

"I was called away by the headmaster!" Louise glared at her most hated rival. "Now get out!"

"Oh my, no need to get so angry. I was just trying to do you a favor," Kirche said, standing up. She looked at the blond man and gave him a wink, "be sure to come visit me when you get better, handsome."

Louise nearly growled at the girl as she left. When the door closed behind she turned her attention to the young man now seated in her bed. "I hope you appreciate the trouble I went through for you, servant," she said, marching into the room. "Not only did I give up my bed for you, but I also had to take care of your wounds."

A frown marred the blond's face as he looked at her. He tilted his head to the side, adopting a confused look. Louise stopped, and had to fight off a sudden urge to scream out cute and hug him. The whiskers combined with his confused expression was in all honesty the most adorable thing she had ever seen. However, she clamped down on that particular desire, it would be unseemly for a noble of her stature to do something so unsophisticated.

The young man opened his mouth a moment later and said, "Sumimasen ga, watashi wa anata o rikai suru koto wa dekimasen."

Louise blinked at hearing the strange language again. "What did you say?"

The blond sighed. "Sore wa watashi ga kangaeta no to dōyōdesu."

Louise opened her mouth to speak again, namely so she could scream at him for speaking in such a ridiculous sounding language. However, her voice caught in her throat when he stood up. Now that he was clean of blood and grime, and was looking much healthier Louise found herself entranced by the man's body.

Louise would never consider herself a pervert like Kirche, and had never really displayed an interest in men before except for a few minor crushes that quickly left when she realized the person she liked was a complete ass. However, even she would not deny the man before her had the most gorgeous body she had ever seen. Built like a whipcord his body was lean and muscular, the kind you get from continuous use and rigorous training. He was only wearing a pair of boxers, and so almost his entire body was on display before her.

Her eyes trailed from his feet, to his muscular thighs, up to his washboard abs, and toned pectorals, reaching all the way to his face where she found herself staring into a pair of ocean blue eyes. It was as she was staring into those eyes that she noticed the knowing smirk on his face. Even she could understand what that look meant.

She felt her face heat up at being caught staring at the man by said man. She was not like this! Being a slut was that Kirche's job!

Rather then get embarrassed however, she got upset. Opening her mouth she was about to blame the man in front of her for what she was doing, when he spoke up first.

"Naruto."

Louise blinked. "Na...ru...to?"

He nodded and pointed to himself, "Uzumaki Naruto."

"That's... you're name?" she asked slowly, unsure whether she was right or not. He nodded and pointed to her. Normally, Louise would have become violent at the rude gesture, but it was obvious he was simply trying to open up some kind of dialogue with her. And she knew what he was asking.

Well, since he was her servant it would be important for him to know her name. She quickly straightened up and in an imperious voice said, "My name is Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière."

He looked at her for several seconds, not even blinking. When nearly an entire minute past Louise began to get freaked out by the stare. However, just when she was about to tell him to stop staring at her, he began to laugh.

To laugh at her.

"Hahahahahaha! Sore wa dono yōna namae nodesu!"

Louise gained a large tic on her forehead as the boy continued to laugh at her. "Shut up! It's not funny! You didn't here me laugh at your name! Did you!" Her words had no effect on the blond however, as he continued to laugh at her. Growling she pulled out her wand. "That's it! Now how did that spell go? Oh yes! Comply to my order of silence."

She pointed her wand at Naruto, making the air explode in front of him.

"Gah!" Naruto shouted. "Cough, cough, what the hell was that for!"

"What do you mean what was that for you idiot! That was -" Louise stopped talking and blinked. "Hey... I understood that."

"Listen here you little – wait," Naruto said. He looked at her more closely. "Can you understand me now?"

She looked at him again, "say something?"

Naruto looked at her for a few seconds before shrugging. "What do you want me say?"

Louise sighed. "I don't understand. That was supposed to be a silencing spell."

"Well, at least our language barrier is broken," Naruto said as he tried to be optimistic about the situation.

"That's something I guess," Louise grumbled.

"And now that we can understand one another, can you tell me who summoned me? And why they summoned me?" asked Naruto.

Louise blinked at the questions, before shrugging. She had no reason not to answer them. "I summoned you here to be my familiar spirit."

"Your... familiar?" said Naruto, scratching the back of his head. "What exactly is a familiar?"

"Ugh, don't you know anything?" asked Louise. When Naruto shrugged she had to keep herself from grumbling about idiotic servants. Sighing, she decided to explain what she could. After all, it wouldn't do to have an ignorant familiar. "A familiar is like a servant. Your job is to help me in any way you can."

"A servant... a SERVANT!" Louise was startled when Naruto shouted at her. However, she became downright terrified when she suddenly found herself being violently pressed against the wall. She stared into those blue orbs, which were now seething with anger. If looks could kill Louise was sure she would be dead over a hundred times now. "My country is at war! Everyday my people are dying and as their leader it's my job to protect them! I was to be there shield... and you... you called be away to your servant!"

"We-well I-I... I didn't mean to!" Louise shouted, frightened beyond belief. A blue aura had begun to pick up around Naruto, and she could literally feel magic in the air, like an electric current racing through her veins. This young man was outputting enough magic to destroy the tower she was in! "It was something all of us did! It's not as if I wanted to summon you! It just happened!"

Naruto glared at her for a moment longer before sighing. He closed his eyes, then gently set her down. Taking a few steps back he asked, "is there any way to reverse the summon?"

"Not that I know of..." Louise said in a small voice. She wasn't all that surprised to find herself shivering in slight fear, though it did bother her. As a noble she wasn't supposed to show fear, especially to someone who should be her servant. Yet the anger he had radiated, the way she had actually been able to _feel_ the magic swirling around him, all of it had scared her witless. "I'm sorry..."

"No... I shouldn't have gotten angry like that," Naruto said. He opened his eyes again and looked at her. "I should have gotten all of my facts straight before taking it out on you." He moved over to the table and sat down, his eyes looking downcast.

"Um... are you alright?" asked Louise. She honestly wasn't sure whether she should be angry at the way he had manhandled her, or guilty that she had summoned him. She couldn't be sure whether he was lying about being the leader of a people at war, but the way he was acting tugged at her heart strings. Whatever someone might say about Louise, she was not heartless, and if what he said was true...

"Not really..." Naruto said, he looked up at her and cast a sad smile. "I have no clue where I am. My people are at war and I don't even know what country this is. Hell, for all I know I could be in an entirely different world."

"A... different world?" The concept sounded absurd, and she would have laughed at him. Except for the fact that she couldn't really get past those sad eyes.

"I suppose you could call it a different dimension if you wanted," Naruto said with a shrug. "The possibility of multiple dimensions and parallel universes has been something that many believe exist. My people can even create their own pocket dimension inside of a scroll and some people can do it by manipulating time and space. However, it's all theory. I don't know whether you just summoned me to another continent, or if this is an entirely new world all together. All I know is I don't know how to get home."

"O-oh..." Louise looked down at her feet. What could she say to something like that? I mean, what he said sounded ridiculous. Yet the way he said, with such confidence, he made her believe he could be from another world or dimension.

Naruto stood up abruptly, causing her to look at the blond as he began to walk away. "H-hey! Where are you going?" she asked. Naruto stopped as he opened the door. Turning his head he looked at her, and for the third time that day she found herself paralyzed by his eyes.

"I need some time alone to sort things out," he said. Louise was about to tell him he couldn't leave, but Naruto already seemed to sense her intent because he continued, saying, "I'll be back in a little while. I just want to find a quiet place to think."

"Well, I suppose that's ok," she said. Feeling the need to establish her dominance over the blond she continued. "But come back soon, alright? Your still my familiar!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Alright, sure."

Louise watched as the man left and sighed. Great, not only had she summoned a human, but he was a human of great importance where ever he was from. What was she going to do now?

The door opened again and Louise looked up to see Naruto coming back. "Forgot something?" she asked.

"Yeah..." Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Do you know where my clothes are?"

**THLZ**

Naruto found himself walking along the maze that made up his seal. It had been many years since he came here, not since he had defeated the Kyuubi and succeeded in separating it's will from it's chakra had he come back to this place.

He walked down the long corridor filled with glowing blue pipes. Naruto soon found himself standing in front of the cage that housed the Kyuubi, the most powerful of the nine Bijuu. The great beast looked the same as always, though Naruto and Kyuubi had never gotten along and would never truly get along, the blond refused to use Kyuubi as some kind of weapon. After the initial stages of the war, when he had first gained his chakra shroud, Naruto became much more selective about when he used it's chakra and would at least ask for permission. This kept the beast from losing it's mind during the trials they had faced.

"**So you have returned, Naruto," **Kyuubi said in it's rumbling voice. It's voice was not as hate filled as it once more, it sounded more tired then anything. **"I take it you wish to ask about our current situation?"**

"Yes," Naruto replied. "I have no clue where we are, or how we got here. This place Tristain. I've never even heard of it."

"**Unfortunately for you, I don't know either,"** Kyuubi said. **"Do not forget that I have never left the Elemental Nations, and I know nothing of your puny ningen techniques. Though I had believed that the ability to summon between realms was a gift only the Rikudou Sennin possessed."**

"The technique's here are different then what ninja possess," Naruto said. "It stands to reason they would have abilities that my people wouldn't." He sighed. "Well, this was a waste of time. I'll see you later Kyuubi."

Closing his eyes Naruto vanished from within the seal, leaving the Kyuubi alone.

"**I doubt you would understand the significance of what happened to us, Naruto. Nor the significance this world has to your own."**

When Naruto opened his eyes again he saw himself sitting in the small clearing he had found a mile away from the school. It was nice place, quiet, peaceful and full of nature. This would be the spot he would meditate when he needed to. Standing up he made his way back towards the academy.

As he walked inside Naruto ignored most of the people around him, even though he could hear their conversations as clear as day.

"Hey, isn't that the peasant zero summoned?"

"Heh, she never could get any of the spells right."

"Still, at least her familiar is cute."

"Cute? He's not cute, he's hot!"

"Whaaat! What are two saying?"

"Yeah, what's he got that I don't!"

Naruto scoffed as he heard all of the comments about him, though he had to wonder what they meant when they were talking about Louise. Why were they calling her zero?

Shaking his head Naruto made his way back to Louise's room. Opening the door he entered to see Louise, sitting at her desk and looking in a mirror. At the sound of the door closing her head turned and her eyes widened as they caught sight of him.

"Naruto..." she said, standing up.

Said blond sighed as he walked over to the table and sat down. "I've thought a lot about the predicament I now find myself in," he started, arms crossed over his chest as he looked at her. "I want you to know I don't blame you for this situation, and now that the cards have been dealt there isn't much I could do anyways. Because of this, I'll agree to be your familiar on two conditions."

"What?" Louise blinked. As Naruto's words registered in her ears a tic mark formed on her agree. "You'll agree to be my familiar on _conditions_? I don't think you understand the situation here. You don't _agree_ to be my familiar, you _are_ my familiar. The contract has already been initiated, there is nothing you can do."

"Contract?" said Naruto, frowning as he made an attempt to keep from getting angry at this girls bratty attitude.

"Yes, the contract, the runes in your eyes."

Naruto blinked several times before he looked over at the mirror on Louise's desk. As he looked into the mirror he was startled to see some weird characters he had never seen before hidden within his blue irises. They were very hard to notice, the difference between his normal eye color and the runes being about one shade in difference. Were it not for the fact that he were so close Naruto had no doubt he wouldn't have even noticed them. They looked like a form of fuīnjutsu, however, the characters weren't like any kanji he had ever seen before. "What exactly is this?" he asked.

"That is the contract of a familiar," Louise said in explanation. "When I initiated the contract with you, you gained those runes."

"Runes, huh?" Naruto looked back down at his hand and frowned. "These symbols are similar to a skill my own people have, though the characters are much different. Is there a library around here where I can study these runes."

"Uh, yes, yes there is," Louise said, blinking at the sudden change in topic. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, if this contract is somehow connected to how you summoned me here, then it stands to reason that these runes may hold the key to getting me home," Naruto said.

"Home?" Louise mumbled in disbelief. "You can't go home! Your my familiar, you have to stay here!"

"No, what I have to do is get home!" Naruto snapped, causing Louise to take a step back. "Until I can end the war in my land I have to go back! I can't stay here while my people are getting killed! I refuse to do that!" He noticed Louise was getting scared and visibly calmed down. "As I said, I'll agree to be your familiar on two conditions. The first, is that you help me learn more about this world."

"...And the second?" asked Louise, hesitating in her question for a moment.

"That it's only until I find a way back home."

Louise's eyes widened. "But that's... I..."

"Take it or leave it," said Naruto, using the tone he normally did when dealing with people who were too stubborn for their own good.

"Fine!" Louise growled. "However, if your going to be my familiar then you'll be doing some work around here! I won't have a lazy servant!"

Naruto actually chuckled a bit, the girl was like a spoiled child and he had dealt with so many of those that they were more amusing the anything else.

"What's so funny!" shouted Louise.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Naruto said with a smile.

Louise scowled but didn't say anything else. Instead she walked over to her Armour and got out her nightgown. Naruto raised an eyebrow when she began unchanging in the middle of the room.

"Uh, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm getting ready for bed, what's it look like I'm doing?" asked Louise with a scowl.

"Well, it looks to me like your having an exhibitionist streak," Naruto said, amusement lacing his voice.

"That's – you, you are just a familiar! It simply doesn't matter whether you see me like this or not!" Louise shouted, her face taking on a red hue.

"Aw, your so cute when you blush like that," Naruto said with a smirk. It had been a long time since he had been a fool that was naïve in the ways of women. While he would never admit to being a pervert like his former teacher, he would admit that had he enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh many times and knew how to rile a woman up.

Louise's face began to take on the same color as a tomato."S-shut up, peasant!"

As Louise began screaming at him, Naruto chuckled. He could just tell this would be the start of a beautiful relationship.

**THLZ**

**Requirements:**

**I do not have any real requirements for this story. Have fun! ^_^**


	7. Naruto and Tenchi Muyo

**Shinobi of Jurai**

**A Naruto/Tenchi Muyo Challenge**

* * *

><p>Konohagakure no Saito, or the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was a large, bustling village, not as large as the capital of Hi no Kuni certainly, but definitely larger than your average city. As the name suggests, the village itself was located within a vast forest within the country of Hi no Kuni and was nestled comfortably within a valley of mountains that surrounded it on three sides. The most outstanding feature of this village was not the many dozens of shops, nor was it the variety of buildings, nor even the large mansion that housed the village leader No, the title of most outstanding feature is the Hokage Monument, a large mountain that held the faces of all those who have lead the village at one point or another, the Hokage's. And it is here where our story begins.<p>

Located well behind the Monument itself was a shrine. This shrine was fairly plain looking, about what one would expect from a small Shrine. It was located well to the back of the Hokage Monument, and required one to climb several hundred stairs to reach it. The shrine itself was surrounded by an ancient looking stone fence, and had a stone path leading up to it. It consisted of two buildings, the shrine itself, which was designed in the style of most Shinto Shrines. The other building was a small office used by the curator whose job it was to look after the shrine. It was built using posts and lintels to support the large, gently curved roof. The walls were paper thin and easily removable.

While the Shrine itself was not much to look at, the one who took care of it was definitely an interesting fellow.

Several meters away from the Shrine proper lay a large clearing, and it within this clearing that the curator could be found currently going through his kendo forms. The person in question was a male of about sixteen years of age. He was of decent height and held a skinny yet highly athletic build. His hair was a bed of spiky red locks that ran about in all directions on his head, with a spiky fringe hovering above his eyes and a set of small bangs framing either side of his face. Royal purple eyes were set upon a lightly tanned, handsome face. Both his hair and eyes were rather strange when compared to the rest of Konoha's populace, the young man was the only person in the entire village with that particular hair and eye color.

However, it was not his bright red hair or his purple eyes that most people noticed when they looked at him. No, the physical trait many of the villagers of Konoha, especially those who were older, noticed were his whisker marks. They were not actual whisker marks, but rather three lines that ran along either side of his face making for a total of six. They ran mostly horizontal to the ground, but both the bottom and top 'whiskers' were curved at a slight angle, giving the markings the appearance of starting from the same general location. Many people had often made comments about these whiskers, and how they gave the young man a fox-like appearance, not that he cared what the general village populace said about him anymore. He had long stopped caring about their opinions.

This young man, who was the care taker of the Shrine, was Uzumaki Naruto. The teenager was currently practicing an advanced form of kendo within the clearing. His practice consisted of him going through his forms while using several small stumps of wood that had been hammered into the ground to balance upon. He moved with great precision and care, hopping from one post to the next using the balls of his feet as he spun and twirled. His blade flashed out in a variety of techniques, arcing slashes, powerful thrusts, graceful parries and counter attacks as he sparred with his own shadow. Were anyone to ever see this young man's movements, they would be awed by his grace and deadly precision.

He had been there for some time now, as seen by the glean of sweat that covered his naked torso. Every time he swung his bokuto, several droplets of the salty water flew in all directions.

Despite the fact that it was quite clear he had been going through his training routine for what had to be at least a good three hours, Naruto was still going strong. His breathing was even, his movements were swift and sure, and his balance was perfect.

At least, it was perfect until his foot landed on one of the posts that had become slightly slick with his sweat. The moment that happened the young man let out a loud 'wwooaaahh!', his arms flailing back and forth as he tried to keep his balance.

It was all for naught, however, and a few seconds later he fell to the floor with a loud yelp and a thud.

"Ugh..." Naruto moaned piteously as he lay on the ground, blinking several times as he tried to uncross his eyes. At least, he hoped they were crossed because he was seeing double, maybe even triple, and it would really suck if the cause of that was anything other than crossed his eyes. He really didn't want to think about what would happen if he did permanent damage to himself.

It didn't take very long for the young man to get back on his feet. He rubbed his bruised backside, grumbling a bit to himself as he did so. "Stupid sweat, always getting in the way of my training. Maybe I should wear a bandana or something..." a grunt escaped his lip, halting his speech as his back cracked something fierce. "Man, I think my back hit one of those posts." Once satisfied that he had not in any way crippled himself via breaking his spinal column on one of the small posts, Naruto turned his head skywards, noting that while the sun hadn't quite risen yet it was beginning to peek out from beyond the horizon.

"Hm... I could probably still train for another hour or so..." the red head trailed off as he rubbed his chin in thought. His eyes went down to look at the posts, silently taking note that all of them had the beginnings of a slick surface of sweat covering them from his bare feet rubbing against them. He grimaced.

"On second thought, maybe I should just get ready to start the day."

Decision made, Naruto walked over to the towel he had hung up on a tree branch several feet from where he had been training. Grabbing it, and the water bottle located at the base of the trunk, the red haired young man threw the towel around his neck as he brought himself to a light jog, guzzling down the water from his bottle all the while.

It wasn't long before Naruto had reached the shrine. Without pausing to even take a look around, he walked over to the office and went inside, absently scratching behind the ears of the cat that was sleeping in front of the shoji screen door.

The office was a bit of a pig sty. Naruto had no clue how it always got so bad, especially since he cleaned it nearly every day. Yet somehow, no matter how much cleaning it went through, the office remained looking a hurricane swept through it. Scattered around the room were dozens of sheets of paper, odd nicknacks, and various odds and ends.

Naruto ignored all of that for the moment as he headed towards the desk. Opening the first drawer, the red head made to stick his hand in and pull out a small box of incense, only to blink in surprise several times as he realized that the incense weren't there. A growl escaped his lips. Great, just great. Not only were his incense not where he had left them, they were likely scattered around the room somewhere. Who knew how long it would take him to find them. Hours probably.

Well, there was nothing to be done. He needed those incense before he could leave, and so without prompting Naruto began his search of the room. He upturned every sheet of paper, every tome, every box, everything, he searched everywhere for the incense and couldn't find a trace of the small box that held them anywhere.

"Dammit," Naruto swore as he began tossing sheets of paper and books all over the room. He would have to clean those up later, he knew, but right now he just didn't care. He needed those incense before he could start his ritual and he needed them now...

"Hello, what's this?" his angry thoughts halted, Naruto blinked several times as he spotted a small circle of blue metal laying under a book he had been just about to pick up and throw. Upon lifting the book, the red head saw that it was a set of keys.

A set of keys he had only seen once before.

"_Now Naruto, I know you are a curious young lad, but this cave is off limits. It is the ancient law of this Masaki shrine, and you are no exception to that legacy. Hmm... but you really want to see what's in there, don't you? Very well, if you can take these from me... show me how much you've improved."_

"That's right," Naruto murmured, picking up the set of keys, which clanged and jingled as he did so, and held them to his face. "These are the keys that gramps always kept on him back when I was a kid. Strange, I haven't seen these in years, not since..." trailing off before he could finish his sentence, Naruto shook his head and stood up. He looked at the set of keys in his hand, and his face morphed into a grin. "Well, it may technically be cheating, but since gramps isn't around anymore I might as well see what's so great about that cave."

Bringing a hand up to brush the stray tear that tried to run down his face, Naruto hurried out of the office, and then out of the shrine all together.

Trekking through the thick foliage located near the shrine, Naruto eventually made it to his new destination. The place that held his interest was a clearing, one that was much larger than the one he used for training. Within this clearing was a large lake, and a cave made from what looked like natural rock formations jutting up from the ground. It was the cave that Naruto went to.

Stepping into the cave without pause, Naruto continued moving as his eyes quickly adjusted to the lack of sunlight. The cave was dark and wet, the sound of dripping water cascaded within Naruto's eardrums.

Most people would find these conditions to be creepy, but the red head had been to this cave numerous times throughout the years, especially after he turned twelve. For the past four years, almost every night after Naruto finished his duties of cleaning the shrine and burning some incense, he would come to this cave. At first, whenever he had come here it was accompanied by the feeling of dread and never ending malice, however, within the last two years or so, those feelings feelings had changed to understanding and acceptance.

Naruto wondered if it was the demon who had been sealed here that he often felt when visiting. Legends spoke of the cave being the burial ground of a great demon who had come to this world hundreds of years ago. This demon wrought much havoc and death upon the people of the Elemental Nations, and it had looked like the world itself might be destroyed by the monster's wrath. However, a warrior riding on a dragon descended from the heavens and fought against the demon. The battle was long and hard, but in the end, the warrior managed to defeat the great demon by sealing it away inside this cave, where it still resides even to this day.

Entering further into the cave Naruto finally reached the metal gate that had always kept him from entering further. Placing a hand upon it, the red head allowed his fingers to trail down the rusted iron. He closed his eyes, allowing a sad smile to play upon his lips as he remembered the times his grandfather had caught him here. The scolding he would get was unbelievable, even worse were the chores his grandfather would make him do as punishment. Just thinking about all of the crazy ass things the old man had made him do brought a shiver to his spine.

The shiver left a second later. Gramps wasn't here now, so there was nothing stopping him from seeing what was on the other side.

With deft movements Naruto placed the key that opened the gate into the lock and turned it. There was click, signifying that the gate was unlocked. Grabbing one of the bars, the red haired young man pried the gate open, ignoring the protesting squeal that came from the hinges. It was unlikely anyone had opened this gate in centuries, so of course it would be rusty as hell. Thankfully, Naruto was pretty strong thanks to all his training and, with a bit of effort, the gate opened enough that he could walk through.

The next area he came to was a large open space, relatively speaking of course since it wasn't actually that large. The space was slightly dome shaped, but with the many irregularities one would expect from a cavern that had been crafted by nature. Large roots hung from the ceiling and encroached upon the walls. In the center of the room was a large, oblong stone that was being held together by ropes and had several sealing tags stuck to it's lower half.

Naruto walked over to the large stone, stopping in front of it and pressing his hand upon the cold sediment. His eyes absently scanned over the seal, taking in and analyzing it to see if he couldn't determine what it did.

The seals were old, that much was certain. The kanji, while recognizable, was of a much more ancient dialect than what he was normally used to reading, very different from the written language in this day and age. Despite this, Naruto recognized the seals as a powerful barrier designed to keep something locked within.

Huh, it looked like there was something to these legends about a demon being sealed inside of here after all.

As his eyes traveled from the large rock before him to the rest of the enclosed space, Naruto caught sight of a small shrine. Walking over to it, he opened the tiny flap and took a look inside.

"Is that...?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he caught sight of a rounded pommel that was connected to a hilt. Reaching in, the red head wrapped his fingers around the hilt and pulled the object out. Holding the object in the air, he saw that it was a sword. The sword was hold, that much was clear the moment he looked at it. Hints of age ran along it's pommel, which was wrapped in aging bandages. Despite this, the hilt itself was well designed, a light metal of some kind that Naruto could not identify. It was not ostentatious, nor did it hold any intricate designs or carvings, and the only thing of note were the three red gems located within the pommel itself.

The rest of the sword looked to be a standard katana, it had a Tsuba, and judging from the length and shape of the sheath, the blade was about seventy two centimeters. Grabbing the sheath with his free hand, Naruto began to pull on it in the hopes that it would come off.

No such luck. The entire sheath seemed to be stuck, it felt like someone had filled the sheath up with rubber cement before sticking the sword in. Frowning, Naruto began putting a little more effort into yanking the sword out of the sheath. It was slow going at first, a high pitched screeching sound like that of rusted metal grinding against rock echoed though the enclosed space. Naruto grit his teeth as he did his best to block out the noise, pulling the sword out centimeter by centimeter. At the halfway point, something seemed to give within the sheath, and the sword came flying out so fast Naruto almost dropped it. With some fancy fingerwork, he managed to keep the blade from falling, and after getting a good grip on it, brought the sword up to his eyes for further studying.

"... This piece of junk was the blade that defeated the great demon Ryoko seven hundred years ago?" Naruto asked himself incredulously. The entirety of the blade was covered in rust stains, the dull red tint tarnishing it. "I can't believe this is the blade that is said to be capable of cutting through stone with ease..." he sighed, and took the blade away from his face. "Well, it was probably more impressive seven hundred years ago. And seven hundred years is a long time. I suppose the fact that it's still whole and unbroken is impressive enough." Naruto eyed the blade in his hand for several seconds longer, before his gaze traveled down the a decent sized stone with four sealing tags on it.

"Hmm..."

Looking from the blade to the stone several times, Naruto decided to test and see whether or not the sword really could cut through stone, or if it would break upon contact.

It's not like it could ruin the sword anymore than it already was.

Getting into the opening kendo stance for the style his grandfather taught him, Naruto took a deep breath, relaxing his muscles in preparation for what he was about to do. He then raised the sword above his head, and with an almighty yell sliced the sword down on the stone. All at once two things happened, the blade shattered upon the stone, and the stone itself was split evenly in half.

"Huh?" Naruto raised an eyebrow as he looked from the now blade less hilt to the split stone. "I guess it really can cut through rock." Just then a loud rumbling filled Naruto's ears. Spinning around, the red head gripped the hilt tighter as he took in his surroundings to see what was causing the noise, which became immediately apparent when he saw the large, oblong stone being held up by ropes fall to the ground with a crash. Strangely enough, the stone did not fall on it's side, but rather stayed standing upright due to the ropes still being attached to it.

"It must be some kind of Sealing Technique," Naruto concluded to himself as he pressed a hand upon the stone. He figured the sealing tags that connected the rope to the stone also kept the ropes from breaking or aging. How else could he explain why a length of rope had lasted for seven hundred years?

While Naruto was studying the rock, he never noticed the many vines retracting from a part of the wall behind the stone he had cut. It was only after he had decided there was nothing left to do and subsequently turned around that he saw the vines were gone, and in there place was a passageway that had apparently been hidden by them. Deciding that after already coming this far, he might as well go all the way, Naruto walked towards the new passage that had been unsealed.

The first thing Naruto noticed when he peaked into the new passage was that it sloped downwards. The second was that the floor held some kind of tiling in the shape of a labyrinthine maze, there were many different geometric shapes, all spaced about an inch apart from each other, creating a general set of paths in which a light amount of water was allowed to run down the sloped floor. Being careful of where he stepped, the red haired young man began his descend into the depths of the cave.

Of course, he had underestimated just how slippery the floor was from the water, and with a startled cry, Naruto slipped onto his butt after taking his second step and began sliding down the passage.

Rather than trying to stop himself, Naruto focused more on regaining his balance and keeping himself from hitting anything. He used his arms and a slight tilting of his body to steer, all the while watching for the end of the passageway.

The end came soon enough, and Naruto planted his feet on the ground, ignoring the small bumps he got each time they slid off the stone tiles as he prepared to hit the bottom.

The ground came faster than he had expected, but thanks to his training in the sword, his reflexes were top notch, and he reacted quickly enough to avoid embarrassing himself. Planting his feet on the ground, the red head let his momentum take him forward. At the same time he bent his knees, using the force to push himself into a roll, before coming back onto his feet. Taking a deep, slow breath, Naruto stood back up and fixed his gaze upon the room he now found himself in.

it was slightly spherical, or perhaps more dome shaped, it was hard to tell with all of the rocks protruding from the walls and ceiling. The tile ran much along the same vein as the previous tiling he had seen in the passageway, only it started moving in a circle when it got closer to the center of the room. The center of the room which had a strange glowing white light coming from it.

Naruto walked towards the center, stopping at the very edge of where the glow was coming from. Upon looking down he saw that the glow was emanating from a small blueish white light, however, he only managed to take absent note of that as he stared at the thing that had really caught his attention.

Said 'thing' was a corpse. It was immersed in water, with only the upper portion of it's body above the surface. The glowing light was floating directly above it, casting harsh shadows along the corpses body. It was dehydrated, shriveled and wrinkles from having been stuck within the cave for seven hundred years. It's clothing, much like it's body, was old and worn, with the edges frayed and large tears located in several places on the cloth. The one thing that did not seem to have been affected by time was the lush, cyan colored hair that was splayed about it's head, a head which was covered in a crimson oni mask.

"I... I don't believe it," Naruto's hushed whisper seemed to echo around the room due to the acoustics. His eyes went wide as he continued staring at the dehydrated remains of what could only be the great demon that had been sealed here, Ryoko. "It wasn't just a legend..." So caught up in his staring was he, that Naruto didn't even notice the slackened grip he had on the hilt he had been still grasping. It fell to the floor with a loud clang, startling him out of his stupor. He looked down to see the sword now lying on the ground, and sighed.

"Perhaps that's the gods way of telling me I should leave now," Naruto mused to himself as he bent down to pick up the blade less hilt. However, just as he had gotten a firm grasp on the sword, a shriveled up hand latched onto his wrist. Naruto's eyes widened in shock as they traveled from the hand to the oni mask that was now emerging above the water.

"Shit! Are you telling me after all this time it's still alive!?" With a quick jerk Naruto tried to free himself from the apparently still living demon's grasp. However, for a demon that had been sealed for seven hundred years it had a very strong grip, no matter how hard Naruto pulled he just couldn't yank his hand out of it's grasp.

The hand gripping him yanked even as he was still trying to free himself, pulling him to the ground where he was forced onto his hands and knees.

"Gah! Dammit! Let me go!" Naruto shouted as he continued to struggle. That struggle ceased when a rasping moan escaped from the still living demon's mouth, or at least it's mask. It was a low sound, grating and harsh, and it set the hairs on the back of Naruto's neck standing on end. Yet at the same time the voice sounded... feminine, oddly enough. Did that mean Ryoko was a female demon? And just why the hell did it matter to him?

Naruto's distraction at the sound of the demon's voice cost him, as the creature's other hand came up and cupped his cheek. The red head froze stiff, his eyes widened and, for a moment, he was sure that the demon would begin peeling the flesh off his bones. He waited on baited breath. And waited. And waited. And waited. It soon became clear that the demon, monster, whatever, was not going to rend his flesh. Indeed, the hand cupping his cheek, despite feeling old, decrepit and weathered, was surprisingly gentle.

Another rasping moan escaped from the mouth hidden behind the oni mask. The demon closed in on Naruto, it's masked face moving towards his in an almost intimate gesture. It looked like it was about to kiss him! Upon this thought, Naruto's struggling began to intensify. Despite that, the demon's grip held strong, and the red head found himself unable to move from it's grasp.

Neither of them noticed the blade less sword begin to glow. At least, not until it was too late.

Just was the demon's mask covered face was mere inches from Naruto's own, the blade flashed into brilliance, a powerful blueish white light erupting from it. The demon shrieked and let go of Naruto, who stumbled back and, were it not for his instincts, would have once more fallen on his backside. He caught himself at the last second however, and without looking back towards the still screaming demon, rushed towards the passageway he had come from.

He ran up the passage, using the lip of the tiles to keep his grip. He used his toes, pushing against the stone paneling and increasing his speed as he half hopped half ran up the passage. When he got to the top and squeezed back through the small opening, he looked around to try and find some way to close off the passage. Unfortunately there was nothing there that he could use, nothing but that rock that he had... cut... in... half...?

That's it!

Acting quickly, Naruto knelt next to the split rock, grabbed both halves, and placed them together as they had been. Using some of the strangely malleable roots that lay upon the ground to wrap the rock together, the red head managed to combine the two split halves into a single whole. The opening soon began to close, and Naruto decided to create his own seal just to be safe. As soon as the entrance closed all the way, he pulled out a small slip of paper and slapped it onto the closed opening. Nipping his finger, Naruto began writing the seal necessary to keep demonic energies at bay in his own blood. However he'd always had a strong healing factor, and the wound closed within seconds, forcing Naruto to wound himself seven times before the intricate and complicated looking seal was finished.

"Seal!" he shouted as he finished creating the seal. After making a ram sign, he slammed his left hand into the slip that contained his kanji, and watched as it glowed a light blue before returning to it's original state.

"Few..." Naruto wiped the sweat that had accumulated on his brow, and allowed himself a moment to recover from his encounter of the demonic kind. "Ugh... I think I'm almost glad gramps is no longer here, I would have been in so much trouble if he caught me here right now. Who knows how much chores he would have given me." He paused, then shuddered as he thought of all the ridiculous things his grandfather might have made him do. They were simply to horrible to mention.

Not wanting to stay inside of the cave any longer, and desperately wanting to rid himself of the horribly vivid images of all the different kinds of punishment his grandfather would have given him for disobeying his mandate, the red head quickly began his walk back outside.

He must have been inside of that cave for hours, because by the time he had exited it the sun had finally risen into the sky. Looking up at the bright, burning star, Naruto judged the time to be nearing nine o'clock or there abouts...

Nine o'clock?

Nine o'clock...

"Nine o'clock!?"

Naruto's eyes widened, and in a burst of surprising speed, the blond was rushing out of the clearing, than out of the forest, then out from behind the Hokage Momunment all together. As he made it to the town proper, the red haired young man found himself weaving through the crowded streets of Konoha, rushing towards his destination.

"Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!" he cursed as he jumped over a stall selling fruit, ducked under a crate being hauled around by two people, then weaved through a section that was crowded with pedestrians. He ignored the many glares he received for his actions, he had grown used to them by now. "The Ninja graduation exam is today! I can't believe I let my curiosity get the better of me on today of all days! Oh~ dammit!"

And so, Naruto Uzumaki, care taker of the Masaki Shrine behind the Hokage Monument, and student at the Konoha Ninja Academy, rushed towards the place where he would hopefully graduate and be initiated into the ranks of Konoha Shinobi.

He just hoped he wasn't too late.

* * *

><p><strong>Shinobi of Jurai<strong>

* * *

><p>Iruka Umino, Chunin level shinobi and the teacher in charge of this years graduating class frowned as he looked around at all of the students.<p>

He could see Kiba Inuzuka and his ninja hound Akamaru sitting near the back, Iruka didn't know what the two were talking about, but made a note to flick an erasor at them when he finished his perusal of the students.

Shino Aburame was in the corner at the far left end of the room doing god knows what, that boy was way too quiet for his own good.

Like the very quite Shino, Hinata Hyūga was also stowed away in a corner. The opposite corner. The young heiress to one of Konoha's greatest taijutsu using clans was hiding within her shirt like some kind of turtle. Really, that girl needed some more confidence or she would never make it as a ninja.

Like those three, Iruka could make out all of the students there; Sasuke Uchiha was brooding near the front, elbows on the table, hands clasped in front of his face as he stared out of the window; Shikamaru Nara was sleeping, Choji Akamichi was eating, Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno were glaring at each other from over Sasuke's shoulders, and the rest of the 'Sasuke Uchiha fan club' were glaring at them. Every single student was accounted for...

Except for one.

Iruka sighed as he couldn't find the young red haired teen anywhere. Naruto was a very punctual person, always arriving exactly on time despite having to take care of his grandfather's shrine. For him to be late, especially on a day like this was unfathomable.

Well, he supposed there was nothing to it. If Naruto didn't show up, Iruka would be forced to fail him.

Opening his mouth, Iruka was just about to begin giving out the test –

"Sorry I'm late Iruka-sensei!"

– When a voice shouted from behind the door leading into the room. Seconds later the door opened to reveal a sweaty and slightly flushed Naruto as he walked into the room. It looked like he had run all the way to the academy at top speed; his face was red, sweat trickled down his scalp, he was breathing quite heavily, and his clothing was rumpled. All signs that he had come here in quite the hurry.

"You're late, Naruto," Iruka said, giving the tired looking teen a hard stare. "Dare I ask why?"

"Um..."

Oh boy, Naruto thought to himself as he tried to think of a good excuse as to why he was late. It wasn't like he could just say 'hey, you know that Shrine that was said to have a demon every bit as terrible as the Kyuubi sealed into it? Yeah, well, turns out it was true and I may have accidentally unsealed the demon. Ah, but don't worry, I'm sure it's harmless!' to the man, now could he? Naruto could only imagine the kind of trouble he would be in if anyone found out about his blunder.

"Uh..." Naruto scratched the back of his head as a sheepish grin spread across his face. "I um... got... lost on the road of life?"

**XoX**

Kakashi Hatake, Jonin level shinobi of Konoha, master of a thousand jutsu, the copy ninja, aka scarecrow and biggest fan of Icha Icha Paradise, paused mid step. He blinked, once, twice, thrice. Looking up from his book he looked left, then right, straight ahead, and finally, behind him. Seeing nothing the man shrugged and continued walking.

"How odd, for a second I thought someone was following me. And why do I have this sudden urge to pump my fist into the air?"

Just then he passed a large metal sign that said 'Road of Life'.

And people thought he was making this excuse up.

**XoX**

Iruka's right eye twitched several times, violently. His face began to gain a facial color that more closely resembled lava, steam began pouring out of his ears in mass, and the grinding of teeth could be heard coming from him. For a second, it looked like he was about to erupt into a cacophony of screams, perhaps he would even use his infamous Big Head Jutsu. It was only through sheer force of will that Naruto was able to keep his eyes closed in the sight of such horror. He awaited the blow up on baited breath, praying that it would just be over with soon.

And he wasn't the only one. Many of the students, minus Shikamaru who was too busy sleeping oto pay attention, leaned back in their seats. One particularly frightened young man hid under his desk, and Hinata even ducked her entire head into her long beige coat like it was some kind of turtle shell. All of them were just as tense as the red head who was on the receiving end of the soon to be blow up. They were all drawn taughter than a bow string, and were likely to snap if any more tension were placed upon them.

Strangely enough, Iruka did not explode as Naruto and the others expected him too. After nearly a full minute of build up, the man with the scar across the bridge of his nose sagged. It looked like all of the fight had left him before the true eruption could even begin. It was another second or two before the man pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Just... just go sit in your seat, Naruto," he told the young teen. Said red head nodded fervently and quickly hurried over to the nearest open seat, that spot happening to be right next to Choji and Shikamaru.

"What's up Choji, lazy-bones," Naruto greeted the two quietly as he sat down.

"Hey Naruto," Choji greeted, both words having a long pause before and after as he chomped on the bag of chips in his hand. Choji Akimichi, heir to the Akimichi clan was, like all members of that clan rather large, not just rotund but also packing in hulking muscles. He was what many would call an odd combination between fat and bulky. Not that anyone would dare call him fat in his presence for fear of the consequences. For clothing he was sporting a red suit with plated armour on his torso, arms, and upper legs, which is seemingly the standard attire for shinobi in his clan. On the front of his chest armour is the obligatory kanji for food. "You're pretty late today... it's kind of unexpected since you've been so psyched about graduation."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he lifted his head, and Naruto noted that it was the bare minimum space needed to look up. He had fairly long jet black hair tied in a spiky ponytail, narrow brown eyes. his attire was rather plain, consisting of a green lined mesh T-shirt under a short sleeved grey jacket with green edges, adorned on both the sleeves and the back with a circle with a line through it, brown pants, and blue sandals. Currently, he was giving Naruto what had to be the most slothful expression anyone would ever see. Yep, definitely Shikamaru, completely lazy and unmotivated. "I don't know why you would want to even become a shinobi. It's just going to be that much more work."

Naruto rolled his eyes at his friends typical comment. "Unlike your unmotivated ass, I actually enjoy a good hard days work. Besides, I think I can really contribute to the village if I become a shinobi instead of simply taking care of gramps' shrine."

"Whatever," Shikamaru sighed, smashing his face back into the wooden desk as he tried to go back to sleep. This prompted another eye roll from Naruto.

"Speaking of your grandpa's shrine," Choji chimed in. "Why do you take care of it? I mean, wouldn't it be easier to let someone else care for it? Especially since you want to be a shinobi."

"Maybe," Naruto shrugged as he replied. "But that shrine has been in my family for generations. It was supposedly built there seven hundred years ago, long before even Konoha was founded. In fact, rumor has it that the Shodai Hokage actually had to ask my ancestor for permission to build his village here, and that in exchange for being allowed to do so he would help protect the shrine from all who may wish to unleash the demon sealed within it." There was no way Naruto would ever give up that shrine, it was not only a piece of his families long history, it was also the last piece of his family that he had left to remember them by, particularly his grandfather.

"I guess you're right," Choji conceded.

"Shut up you brats!" Iruka's shout interrupted Choji from possibly saying anymore, and proceeded to silence the rest of the room. When it was clear that no one would be talking anymore, the average looking Chunin with the scar on his nose coughed into his hands. "We will now start the final exam," he stated in an obvious effort to bring the focus of the students back to where it should be. "When you're name is called proceed to the testing room. The final exam will be on the _bunshin no jutsu_." His words was followed by the loud sound of Naruto slamming his face on the desk hard enough to leave a dent. "Is there a problem Naruto?"

"Oh no, no problem," Naruto said, looking up from where he had mutilated school property with his face to give his teacher a grin. However, while on the outside the red head was projecting confidence, the inside was another story entirely.

Why did it have to be the B_unshin no Jutsu_? Have him do the _Kawarimi_ and he could perform it flawlessly, make him transform into another person using the _Henge _and he could become an exact replica of said person. However, despite the hours of training he had put into creating a _Bunshin _Naruto was still unable to form a proper clone. It was his worst jutsu.

As Iruka walked into the test room and began to call out the names of the students, Naruto sat in his seat with a worried expression. What was he going to do now? There was no way he could pass if creating a clone was required. He could get all the handseals right, he could even use the modified handseals he had created for use with his sword, but all that was useless since he simply couldn't create a proper _Bunshin._

This was just great. Absolutely fan-fucking-tastic. Not only did this mean he was likely to fail, it also meant his near perfect Academy Scores would take a hit. He would end up going from the top student tied with Sasuke to the deadlast of his class. Why oh why did the final test have to be the _Bunshin no Jutsu?_

"Hey, are you alright, Naruto?" asked Choji. The larger boy had paused in his eating to stare at his red haired friend, who looked like he was on the brink of despair. At least, it _looked _like Naruto was on the brink of despair, the young Uzumaki was currently bashing his head against the desk, a waterfall of tears cascading down his face. He really wasn't looking too good.

"Yeah." Naruto lifted his face back up, and them promptly smashed it against the desk once again. "Just fine." The wood began cracking further as the red head continued denting the desk with his face. "Just dandy!" Another smash was soon followed by the sound of the wood cracking. Naruto ignored the way his friends and everybody else in the classroom were staring at him. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't... know?" Choji said uncertainly, the statement sounding more like a question. He definitely looked confused, there were even tiny question marks floating above his head as he stared at his friend. "You just seem... sort of, erm, anxious?"

"Oh?" Naruto bashed his face against the wood, small wood chips and splinters flew into the air, a clear sign the desk would break soon. "I suppose you could say that."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he lifted his head from the desk to stare at his friend. It looked like he had been trying to sleep, but was unable to due to all the noise that Naruto was making. "Don't tell me you still can't make a _Bunshin_, Naruto? It's the easiest jutsu they teach."

"Urk!" Naruto began coughing as he managed to somehow choke on air. As he began to practically hack up his lungs, Choji slammed a large hand into the shorter teens back.

**SLAM!**

"Thanks, Choji," Naruto rasped from where his face lay once more indented into the wooden surface of the desk.

"Don't mention it," Choji waved off his friends thank you, not even realizing that Naruto was being sarcastic. "What are friends for?"

"Right," Naruto sighed. "Friends..."

"Akimichi, Choji!"

As Choji's name was called by Iruka, the Akimichi heir stood up from his desk and began making his way towards the door.

"Good luck," Naruto called after his friend.

"Troublesome." Bet you can't guess who this is.

"Thanks you guys."

Finished pounding his head against the desk in frustration, Naruto spent what time he could trying to center himself. Meditation was one of the key aspects his grandfather had taught him, and it was an important part of his daily ritual. While the red head had always been a fairly rowdy individual, preferring to be active and disliking protocol with a great passion, he could be very calm and patient when he wanted to be. Through discipline and training, Naruto had achieved the ability to empty out most of his thoughts and keep calm during most situations.

A good thing to as he would need to keep calm now if he had any hope of succeeding here.

One by one the students were called in for their final test, and came out with their headbands proudly on display. Choji was the first to come out showing he had managed to graduate, the head band with the engraving of a leaf on the metal plate resting on his head to signify his becoming a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. The Akimichi heir was soon followed by others who managed to pass their graduation test. In fact, everyone who went into the testing room came out with a brand spanken new headband.

That really did not help build up Naruto's confidence. He watched as all of the students sat back down next to their friends, bragging about how they had aced the test. With his enhanced hearing the red head was able to pick up the many different stories being told by the other students, he heard everything from them being able to make hundreds of clones to being able to use the _Bunshin no Jutsu_ without handseals and everything in between.

Naruto had to snort at that last one, only the most talented ninja to ever grace the Hidden Leaf, the famed Shodai Hokage had been said to be capable of using ninjutsu without the use of handseals. Even the Sandaime Hokage, current ruling shinobi of Konoha and the famed _Professor_ due to having mastered every single non clan jutsu the village had to offer could not use ninjutsu without making the necessary handseals. Just forming a jutsu using single handed seals was difficult, as Naruto could attest to.

Handseals. Deciding that would be a good way to get rid of his anxiety for the upcoming test, Naruto began going through the necessary handseals needed to perform the _Bunshin no Jutsu_. Ram. Snake. Tiger. It was just three handseals, and for someone who practiced and trained every day for hours on end they were very easy to make. Each seal was flawless, their execution seamless as his hands flowed from one seal to another in just under a second.

It was impressive, for a genin. Most shinobi take at least a second or two to form the handseals needed for ninjutsu. Of course, there were some like Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage who was said to be capable of performing sixty handseals in under a single second, and most jonin could usually perform around twenty or thirty within a second or two. Compared to them Naruto's three handseals in under two seconds was not that impressive, but that was like comparing the strength of a polar bear to a koala bear.

In other words, no contest.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Hearing his name called, Naruto took a deep, slow breath in order to calm his raging heart. It didn't really help, he was still anxious, but was not about to let that get to him. He was Naruto Uzumaki dammit! He wouldn't let this test get to him! He was going to go in there, ace this test, and come out with a head band like everyone else! If some no name like most of these students could do it, then surely the one who was tied for the title of Rookie of the Year with Sasuke could accomplish this as well.

Right?

"Good luck, Naruto," Choji clapped the red head on the back as said male stood up.

"Thanks, Choji."

"Troublesome... don't fail."

Naruto's right eyebrow twitched at Shikamaru's continued nonchalance and laziness. "Gee, thanks Shika," he said with a sarcastic demeanor. Shikamaru either didn't hear the hint of sarcasm, or didn't care, the lazy Nara – which could be taken in many ways because ALL Nara's were lazy, at least the male's were – raised a hand to give a thumbs up before dropping in back on the desk. With an exaggerated sigh at his friends perpetual lazy attitude, Naruto walked into the testing room where he would hopefully graduate and receive his headband.

The testing room didn't look like much, just an empty classroom that had one desk where Iruka, and a white haired man wearing the standard shinobi garb of long sleeved blue shirt, blue pants, blue sandals, and a green Chunin Flak jacket sat behind the desk. Behind them as a chalk board, but other than that the room was quite dull. Of course, Naruto didn't particularly care about that, his observations were done for the soul purpose of easing his own mind from his anxiety.

"Alright Naruto," Iruka said as he grabbed hold of a pencil and prepped it over his clipboard so he could begin jotting down notations on his students performance. "Whenever you're ready, begin."

"Right," Naruto scratched the base of his neck. "Do we have to do the _Bunshin?_" he asked, giving the pair a winning smile. "I mean, can't you ask me to do the _Kawarimi_, or even the _Henge?_"

Iruka's eye twitched upon hearing the red heads words.

"Don't tell me you can't make a _Bunshin, _Naruto. That's an academy jutsu, an E-rank technique that even a civilian would be able to perform if they could use chakra. You should be more than capable of doing this."

"Of course I can make a _Bunshin_!" Naruto defended himself with a frown. "I'm just... better at the other two. If you asked me to do either of those two jutsu, I would be able to perform them no problem!"

"Yes, I am well aware of that," Iruka conceded with a nod. "But I didn't ask you to perform a _Kawarimi_, or a _Henge_. I asked for the _Bunshin no Jutsu_. It's a requirement of the Konoha ninja academy that in order to pass your graduation test, you must be able to create at least one clone. Now quit stalling!"

Naruto winced. "Fine," he muttered, before releasing a heavy sigh. Closing his eyes, the red head brought his hands up and began carefully crafting each handseal, his movements much slower and meticulous than they usually more. His fingers moved together to shape themselves into the necessary hand signs, each one perfect, with not a flaw visible.

He needed his performance to be perfect.

Just as carefully as he formed his handseals, Naruto opened the floodgates that kept his chakra at bay. Chakra, a mixture of the spiritual and physical energy within the body that was needed to perform jutsu. By using handseals ninja were able to shape their chakra in such a way that it allowed them to use jutsu, which of course was why sealless jutsu were nearly impossible, because to take away the handseals meant they had to shape the jutsu themselves. Naruto was well aware of this, as well as the fact that even though the handseals would shape the jutsu, he needed to be the one who controlled how much chakra he put into the jutsu.

The _Bunshin _was an E rank supplementary ninjutsu. What it did was create an illusionary copy of the user. It wasn't very useful in Naruto's opinion, any skilled ninja or samurai would be able to tell a fake from the real, but against your average he supposed it would work well enough. The jutsu itself required very little chakra to create. In fact, the amount needed was so miniscule that if a civilian were capable of using chakra they would be able to do this jutsu without trouble.

Naruto was a whole other kettle of fish on the other hand. His reserves were HUGE! Thanks to his Uzumaki blood, which his grandfather had told him about when he was little, Naruto was a very powerful sensor. That was how he was so capable of avoiding the ANBU that the Hokage sent to watch him for whatever reason. In terms of sheer chakra capacity he had the largest reserves in Konoha, even greater than what Hiruzen Sarutobi currently possessed. Granted, the man was old, and in his prime had probably had more chakra than he did now, but whether or not he had more chakra than Naruto in the past did not change the fact that Naruto currently had more chakra than anyone else within Konoha. At least as far as he could tell.

Some people might think of this as a blessing. To have such large reserves meant that, theoretically, Naruto could launch ninjutsu after ninjutsu without any worry of exhausting himself. However, that was only in theory. The truth of the matter was that without proper chakra control, one could not use ninjutsu, and unfortunately for Naruto the only exercise he knew for controlling his chakra was the leaf sticking exercise that Iruka had taught the class when they were first learning to harness their chakra.

There were only so many leaves one could stick to their body before the exercise became useless. Naruto had reached that point two years ago. His control still sucked.

Despite this, Naruto was going to do his best. He had to pass. He couldn't fail, not now. He had promised on his grandfather's grave that he would be the best ninja in the whole world and make him and his parents, whoever they were, proud.

Failure was not an option.

"Bunshin no Jutsu!"

* * *

><p><strong>Shinobi of Jurai<strong>

* * *

><p>Immediately proceeding the final exams, the many students found themselves outside at the quad where joyous and proud parents were waiting for their son andor daughters turned ninja. It was a very happy event, tears of joy and pride were shed by the many adults that had come to congratulate their offspring on earning such a prestigious position.

Many would think that the idea of the sons and daughters of some of these people, the civilians at least, becoming a ninja would be abhorrent. After all, ninja were killers, trained in combat and prepared to both kill and die for the sake of their village. However, living in a ninja village gave one a very different view on what was acceptable in society. To become a ninja in the service of Konoha was one of the greatest honors afforded to those who were capable of it. Having a ninja in the family was always a source of pride for those whose children managed to make it, especially in the case of the ninja clans whose entire family was made up of ninja.

Yes, the adults, ninja and civilian alike, were certainly proud of their children's accomplishments. While some of the new graduates like Sasuke Uchiha and Shino Aburame took their leave to walk home, either because they didn't have any parents that would be waiting for them or simply preferred no fanfair in their graduation, many of the other students like Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Sakura, and Kiba stood around with their families, joking and bragging about their accomplishments.

Well, except Shikamaru and his father who were both just too lazy to give anything more than a simultanious 'troublesome', which earned them both a smack on the head from Shikamaru's mom, Yoshino.

All except one of those within the quad were enjoying the fruits of their labor, or the fruits of their children's labor. That person was none other than Naruto Uzumaki.

Sitting upon the small swing several feet away, the young red head watched the many happy families as they embraced each other crying tears of joy, offering their congratulations, telling them how proud they were. While many would find this to be a joyful scene capable of bringing a smile to anyone's face, all Naruto felt was a deep sense of melancholy.

No one would be coming here to congratulate him, even if he hadn't failed.

Failed. He just couldn't understand it. Why did Iruka fail him? Because he couldn't perform the _Bunshin no Jutsu_? It seemed like such a lame reason to fail someone. Throughout his life as a student at the academy, Naruto had always given his all in everything he did, he put in one hundred and ten percent when he worked. Despite the difficulties he had faced, Naruto had been one of the most successful students. Sure, his academia was not as good as say, Sakura Haruno, but he more than made up for that with how skilled he was in the practical area of being a ninja. His taijutsu skills, while not as good was some was certainly better than most. Even if his style was a bit sloppy due to him being a swordsman, he was still able to keep up with the top ranking fighters in school. His talent in projectile weapons was top notch, only Sasuke was as talented as he was with ranged weaponry, and his ninjutsu, save for the _Bunshin_ were all perfect.

No, they were beyond perfect. Naruto had worked hard to be capable of using the two jutsu, _Kawarimi _and _Henge_ to the best of his abilities. His skills in transformation was flawless, and his ability to use the _Kawarimi _within a split second was definitely impressive for his age. Even Sasuke, with all his talent couldn't compete with him when it came to ninjutsu, which was how he had been able to tie with the Uchiha for first place in the class despite the other teens better academic scores.

Despite all this, Iruka had still failed him. It just wasn't fair!

"There, you see him?"

Dull purple eyes glanced up from where they were staring at the ground to see two women, civilians by the looks of them, staring at him in disdain. They didn't seem to notice his gaze as they continued talking.

"It's that _boy_." The word boy was spat out like it was some kind of poison. "I heard he's the only one who failed."

"Hmph! Well it serves him right."

"Just imagine what would happen if he became a ninja. I mean, he's the boy who –"

"Shh!" the other woman hushed her friend from speaking anymore. "We're not allowed to talk about that."

Naruto sighed as the conversation between the two drifted off to something else. This always happened when people talked about him. Whenever people spoke of him, it was always with hatred lacing their words and disgust in their tone. Yet whenever dialogue took the kind of turn those two women had taken, it would abruptly change to something else.

Naruto wished he knew what it was, he wished he knew why everyone hated him so much. Even when his grandfather was alive he would be treated with general disdain, while the old man himself had often been bowed to with the same reverence one gave the Hokage. He knew why that was of course, his grandfather was a hero who was considered to be very bit as great as the Yondaime Hokage, the man that had defeated the Kyuubi no Yoko, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that had attacked their village sixteen years ago. While not a ninja, his grandfather had been every bit as powerful as the Hokage's were.

Just because his grandfather was loved and revered by all, didn't mean that Naruto was. Indeed, in direct opposition of his grandfather's reverence, Naruto was hated by just about everyone in the village. Oh there were a few who treated him well enough. A number of the shinobi that passed him by on the streets would sometimes give him a nod of acknowledgment, and that helped keep the red head grounded within his grandfather's discipline, but they never did anything beyond that. They never spoke to him, never helped him, they never did anything for him. He got the feeling that their respect only generated from the fact that he was related to his grandfather, and that it didn't extend beyond that.

It was depressingly frustrating.

"Can I help you, Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto suddenly spoke up, turning his head to the now frozen Chunin. Mizuki blinked several times, then chuckled a bit.

"I feel I shouldn't be surprised that you were able to detect me," the silver haired Chunin said. "You're skills in detection and evasion were always top notch." Naruto offered the man a mirthless smile, not really up to listening to anyone's platitudes at the moment. Couldn't people see that he just wanted to be left to his misery?

"Listen," Mizuki began again. "I wanted to talk to you for a bit. Mind coming with me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Shinobi of Jurai<strong>

* * *

><p>"You should have passed these exams," Mizuki said. It was nearing dusk now, the sun was beginning it lumbering descent behind the horizon, painting the land and sky in a brilliant array of golds, reds, and purples. The silver haired Chunin and Naruto were sitting on a balcony located on one of the taller parts of the academy. "We all know how good you are when it comes to the shinobi arts."<p>

"Then why didn't he pass me?" asked Naruto as he looked off to the horizon, his legs dangling from the balcony. "It's not like the _Bunshin _has any real practical uses besides fooling bandits. A missing ninja would see through a regular _Bunshin _easily. The _Kawarimi _and _Henge _are much more useful, and I can do those better than anyone else!"

"You're right," Mizuki conceded, his words making Naruto look over at him in surprise. He offered the blond a smile. "Unfortunately things aren't that simple. It's a rule of the academy that in order to pass you must be capable of creating a _Bunshin_. It's the easiest to use, and while not necessarily useful against an enemy shinobi or a skilled samurai, a genin need not worry about that for a while. While it doesn't have many practical uses in combat, it does have other uses when it comes to the missions taken by a genin."

Naruto frowned, he couldn't possibly see what use an E-rank supplementary jutsu could have on any mission, but wasn't going to argue the point. Mizuki was a Chunin after all.

"However, that isn't why I wanted to speak with you," Mizuki told him. "You see, since you failed I can now tell you about the make up graduation test."

"Make up graduation test?" now THAT got Naruto's attention. His head snapped over to Mizuki so quickly that a loud cracking noise was heard, not that the red head was paying attention as he stared at the smiling man.

"That's right. We use this test to allow those who show potential, but are unable to use the standard academy technique to graduate."

"How come I've never heard of this before?" asked a frowning Naruto. He was naturally suspicious of this graduation test, it just sounded too good to be true.

"Because we haven't had to use it much," Mizuki stated matter of factly. "In fact, within the past twelve years we've only had to use it once. Last year there was a student who couldn't use any jutsu at all. In fact, he could hardly even mold chakra. But he was still talented at taijutsu, and thus we allowed him to pass after performing a graduation test based upon his skill set."

"Ah," Naruto nodded at that. While he did not know who this ninja that was incapable of molding chakra was, he had heard of a boy who was incapable of using ninjutsu or genjutsu that passed last year through the rumor mill. "I suppose that makes sense."

"Right," Mizuki nodded with a smile fixed upon his face. "So how about it? You up for this?"

Naruto only needed a moment to decide. While he was still somewhat wary, it sounded legit. Besides, this man was a Chunin and his sensei, why would he lie about something like this?

"What do I have to do?"

* * *

><p><strong>Shinobi of Jurai<strong>

* * *

><p>It was later at night that Naruto found himself sitting in a small clearing with a large scroll open before him. The test to graduate had been rather simple, a piece of cake in fact. When Mizuke said that the make up graduation test catered to his skill set he wasn't kidding. Naruto's only disappointment was that the test didn't require him to use the kendo skills his grandfather had taught him. Then again, none of his teachers knew about his talents with a blade since academy students weren't allowed to carry a sword.<p>

Oh well, at least he had completed the first portion of the test. Now all he had to do was learn a jutsu from this scroll and then he would graduate.

"Alright, let's see..." Naruto pressed his finger against the aged parchment of the large scroll, his eyes gazing at the jutsu his index was pointing to. "The _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_... great, another clone jutsu. Might as well see what it does..." While at first wary of attempting to learn another cloning technique, given his problems with the standard _Bunshin_, the more Naruto read of the _Kage Bunshin_ the more excited he became.

This jutsu, it seemed, was nothing like the standard academy cloning technique. Rather than create an illusionary copy, the _Kage Bunshin_ created physical copies by splitting the user's chakra and evenly distributing it amongst every clone, giving them the same amount of chakra as the user. Naruto could definitely see the user in this jutsu, and while it sounded much more advanced, and therefore harder than the standard _Bunshin no Jutsu, _decided he would give this technique a shot.

After all, he had nothing to lose by trying.

* * *

><p><strong>Shinobi of Jurai<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto smiled as he looked at the results of his new jutsu. Standing before him were five solid copies of himself, each one of them an exact replica of the original, and all of them were smiling like foxes at their success.<p>

"You know, that jutsu was surprisingly easy," Naruto said to his clones as he studied them. There didn't seem to be any imperfections on them, their skin was a healthy tan, purple eyes like his own, red hair, even their clothes were perfect; orange Hakama pants with a sleeveless training gi of the same color and a black short sleeve shirt underneath, followed by tabi socks and wooden geta sandals. All in all they were perfect.

"I wonder why this jutsu is considered a B-rank forbidden technique?" one of the clones wondered, holding an index finger to his chin as a look of thoughtfulness crossed his face. "I mean, you think that a technique of this level would be difficult to learn, but we managed it in an hour."

"I think it has something to do with out chakra reserves," another clone theorized. "I mean, we've got quite a bit of chakra, isn't that the whole reason we can't perform a basic _Bunshin_?" When the original Naruto and the other clones nodded, the one speaking continued, adopting a stance similar to that of a teacher, one hand holding up the elbow of the other as he pointed his index finger in the air as if to illustrate a point. "When performing a _Bunshin_ the key is to use a set amount of chakra, too much and you end up with a dead clone, too little and you make no clone. However, the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu _is different, because it doesn't require a set amount of chakra, it simply divides the chakra you do have between you and your clones."

"That makes sense," one of the clones that had been silent up to this point nodded. "Which also explains why it's so easy for us to use. We have a lot of chakra to divide, which means the only thing we need to worry about is the handseal, we don't actually have to mold our chakra because the seal automatically takes care of the chakra splitting for us. We don't have to worry about shaping the jutsu or determining how much chakra we put into the jutsu."

"And because we have so much chakra we can split it many more times than the average ninja," the last clone said, giggling a bit with his fists under his chin. "Just think, our reserves are bigger than the old man Hokage's. We could probably make hundreds of clones, no thousands!" As the clone descended into a fit of mad giggling, the original and other doppelgangers looked at it in worry. It seemed that this particular replica was the oddball of the group.

Great, just great, a clone with more personality than Naruto needed. He hoped none of his other clones would be like this one.

Just than the clone stopped, and he, along with all the other replications and the original looked over to their left.

"It feels like Iruka-sensei is coming," Naruto said, then turned to his clones. "You guys better dispel. I don't want to ruin the surprise before he even gets here." Judging from the grins his copies possessed, they were thinking along the same line as the original. They didn't want to just pass this test, they wanted to wow their sensei, and what better way to inspire shock and awe than to create a massive amount of clones?

With five puffs of smoke the clones dispersed, leaving Naruto alone to his own devices. He rolled the scroll back up, propped it on one end, and then placed his hand at the other end as he stood there and waiting.

It wasn't long before Iruka came into view after that. The man was looking quite irate as he stomped up to Naruto. Said red head wasn't quite sure how to perceive the older man's anger, but figured he was just frustrated with how long it took to find him, or maybe it was because he had been awakened to administer Naruto's make up exam? It was hard to tell.

"There you are Naruto!" The man said with a bit of a growl. He fisted his hands and placed them upon his hips as he leaned over to cast a smiling glare at the red head. "I finally found you!"

"That you did," Naruto acknowledged with a smile. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting you to be the one who administered my make up exam, but I'm not complaining."

"Make up exam?" Iruka's well planned tirade was brought up short with those three words. The man blinked, once, then leaned back and gave his student a curious look. "What do you mean 'make up exam'?" he asked carefully, and Naruto frowned at the confusion evident on his teacher's face and in his voice.

"You know, the make up graduation test," Naruto stated. "I was told that you guys had one of those for people who couldn't complete the standard exam, like that guy from last year who was incapable of using ninjutsu. Mizuki-sensei told me this test catered to the students talents, and that mine was to grab this scroll from the Hokage Mansion and learn a jutsu from it." Here the red head made a grand gesture with his left arm, sweeping it across the clearing as if to emphasis his point. "I did that so I can graduate right?"

Iruka looked at his student, his face still expression confusion. Naruto couldn't understand why the man looked so surprised. Hadn't he known about the test? He was a Chunin after all so it stood to reason he knew about the make up exam. Maybe this was another part of his test. A hidden part perhaps? Before his thoughts on the matter could go any further, Iruka's eyes widened as he seemed to realize something.

"Wait, are you telling me that Mizuki was the one who told you about this test?" The man looked quite surprised. Naruto hadn't even realized eyes could get that wide, they seemed to almost literally expand to such an extravagant size that they looked like they didn't even fit inside of the Chunin's head. It was quite the comical sight.

At least it would be if it weren't for the fact that Iruka seemed so surprised.

"Of course he was," Naruto said with a growing frown. "Didn't he tell you about the test? Isn't that why you're here?" Just as Iruka's face was beginning to go from shocked to suspicious, Naruto turned to his left to look up into a tree. "Mizuki-sensei? What are you doing in that tree? Is this another part of the test?"

"Mizuki?" Iruka gasped. Just then the Chunin's instincts seemed to kick in. faster than Naruto could blink, the scarred male shoved the red head away from him. As Naruto fell to the floor, several kunai flew at Iruka who held his arms in a cross guard to keep the projectiles away from his vital areas. The weapons impaled the older man in the arms, legs and even his lower torso. All Naruto could do was gape as his mind finally caught up to his eyes and realized that he had just seen one of his sensei's attack another one, nearly killing both of them in the process.

"I see," Iruka growled, wincing in pain as he looked up. "So that's how it is." Crouched there on one of the larger branches was none other than Mizuki. The man was grinning, it wasn't the usual kind smile he often gave but more of a mocking smirk that seemed to ooze with arrogance.

"Heh," his grin widened as he looked at the red haired teen. "I should have known that you would be able to find me the moment I entered this clearing. You're quite the little sensor, aren't you?"

Iruka was stunned.

"Mizuki, what's going on?" he asked. "Did you really tell Naruto that there was a make up exam, and that to pass it he had to steal the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing? Answer me Mizuki!"

"Forbidden Scroll of Sealing?" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at the large scroll he was holding up with his right hand. This was the Forbidden Scroll, the one that was said to have been written by the Shodai Hokage and contained all of Konoha's most dangerous techniques? But than why would Mizuki use this for a simple exam?

"Is that why... are you saying that I was just being used?" Naruto shook his head, confusion and betrayal clearly seen upon his face. "Why? Why would you do this to me!?" He shouted, anger and hurt braying for attention. "I trusted you!"

"Hahahaha, well maybe you shouldn't have!" Mizuki sneered at the red head, before it turned into a cold smile. "As for why I would use you that should be simple enough to figure out. I used you because no one would miss you once I killed you! After all, you're the most hated person in the whole village."

Naruto felt himself go numb, his body seemed to lose all feeling at hearing Mizuki's words. He looked down at the ground and tried to contain his tears as he realized there was no make up exam, he had been used by his sensei, someone he was supposed to be able to trust. All along he had been used to get the Forbidden Scroll for Mizuki, then the man would kill him and no one would care. Hell, they'd probably be happy he was gone.

"Naruto, do you want to know why you're so hated?"

Naruto's eyes snapped back towards at the same time as Iruka shouted, "Don't do it Mizuki! You know it's forbidden!"

"You know why I'm so hated?" Naruto asked tentatively. Of course, it should have been obvious. Everyone seemed to know why he was hated. Everyone except for him and the children that were around his age.

"Oh I know why," Mizuki said with a cruel smile. "Everyone knows why, due to the decree of sixteen years ago."

"Decree?" Naruto blinked. "What decree?"

"No Mizuki don't do it!" Iruka shouted for naught. It seemed his friend, or former friend, had no intention of listening to him.

"The decree is that nobody can tell you that the Kyuubi no Yoko is inside of you!"

"W-What?" Naruto whispered, his eyes going wide as shock and distress began to appear on his face.

"That's right!" Mizuki shouted, pointing a finger at the red head. "The fox spirit that nearly destroyed the village sixteen years ago has taken over your body! You are the Kyuubi no Yoko!"

Naruto's eyes went so wide it didn't look like they could get any wider. His face had become pale at the knowledge he was just given. It couldn't be... it just couldn't be...

"Mizuki stop it now!" Iruka's shout was deaf to both Naruto and Mizuki, though for entirely different reasons.

"They've been hiding this from you your whole life!"

Was this why he was so hated? Because he was the Kyuubi, the fox that had nearly destroyed the village sixteen years ago?

"Didn't you think it was strange how the villagers treated you? Like they dirt! Like they hated you for just being alive!"

Naruto wanted to deny it, to deny that he was the Kyuubi, but he couldn't. It all made sense. The treatment he had received at the hands of the villagers, the hatred, the glares, the isolation. Everything now made a sickening amount of sense.

"That's why you will never be accepted in this village! Even your Iruka-sensei can barely stand the sight of you! Even your venerable grandfather hated your guts!"

His grandfather? Had his grandfather known that he was the Kyuubi? Was that man even his grandfather? Naruto didn't want to believe it, but it just made too much sense. His grandfather had been a priest of great renown, and it was well known that he had been capable of using high level seals on par with the Yondaime to contain demons and the like. Perhaps that had been why he was raised by the man, in case something happened and he were to ever go out of control, his grandfather would have been able to seal him back up.

Naruto's body began to shake at the horrible knowledge. His entire life was a lie, no one had ever cared for him, no one had ever loved him. He was alone, he had always been alone.

"_It's that boy again. Just look at him standing there next to Masaki-sama like that. It makes me sick!"_

Hated.

"_Did you hear, I heard that Masaki-sama passed away recently."_

Alone.

"_I bet you that boy did it! He probably wanted to take revenge his revenge for his defeat!"_

Mistrusted.

"_Just looking at the boy makes me sick! How could Hokage-sama allow that... that thing to take care of Masaki-Sama's shrine!?"_

Reviled.

"_I wish he would just disappear!"_

Isolated.

"_You're not welcome here, brat!"_

It all made sense, everything now made sense. He was the Kyuubi no Yoko, Katsuhito Masaki had not been his grandfather but his caretaker in case he ever went out of control. The ANBU that he always caught trying to keep an eye on him were Katsuhito's replacement when the old man had died from lingering chakra poisoning.

How could he have not seen this before? It was so obvious now that someone had pointed it out to him.

"NARUTO GET DOWN!"

So caught up in his thoughts, tears, and despair, Naruto didn't even see the giant Fuuma Shuriken that Mizuki had launched from his back to end his life. It was only after the shout that he looked up, his eyes widening when he saw the spinning projectile heading towards him as nothing more than a mere blur that would be the precursor for his death.

The next second passed by so quickly that Naruto was sure he had missed something. One moment he was sitting on his butt, shaking as he watched the Fumma shuriken heading ever closer to him. The next he was lying on his back, Iruka leaning over him, blood dribbling down his mouth and the giant projectile weapon of steel and stars impaled in his back.

Naruto was shocked, and it showed.

"W... why? Why did you protect me?"

"Because we're the same," Iruka spoke in a choked voice. "When I lost my parents no one seemed to care. They didn't have time for me, they just forgot I was there. My grades dropped, I became the class clone. I just wanted them to see me, and to know who I was. My school work wasn't good enough to get there attention, so I did crazy things, and then I had to pay for it. It was hard. I know that's how you feel, Naruto." By now Iruka had begun crying, tiny droplets of salt water fell upon Naruto's face, landing on his skin with a small splash. "You feel lonely, and no matter what you did it still hurts. I should have been there for you more after Masaki-sama died. I let you down, and I'm sorry. No one should have to suffer that much, no one should be alone like that."

Naruto stared at Iruka in shock. Was this man being honest? He had taken a giant shuriken of spinning death to the back for him, but Naruto still felt wary. Was Iruka really being sincere with his words? He wanted to believe so, but it was so hard to do after all that he had just learned.

"Hehehehehahahahaha!"

A laugh from Mizuki managed to reach his ears. The blond could see the silver haired man over Iruka's shoulder, a cruel and malevolent sneer on his face.

"Don't make me laugh!" Mizuki shouted, the look on his face as he glared at Naruto speaking of insanity. "Iruka was orphaned because the Kyuubi no Yoko killed his parents! And now that beast is inside you! He'd say anything to get the scroll from you!"

Naruto's eyes went from Mizuki to Iruka. "Is that true sensei?" he asked. "Do you really hate me because I killed your parents? Are you just telling me this because you want to get the scroll?" Naruto wasn't sure why he was even asking this. Of course Iruka hated him, he was the Kyuubi no Yoko, the beast that attacked Konoha and killed his parents. Why wouldn't he hate him? And yet... and yet...

"That's not true at all!" Iruka spoke passionately despite the giant shuriken impaled in his back. "I don't hate you Naruto! You are not the Kyuubi, you're just the container! It's only because of you that all of us are still alive! You're the hero whose keeping the fox at bay! Don't believe Mizuki and his lies!"

"Lies?" Mizuki sneered. "Am I really the one who's lying? What reason would I have to do so? Everything I've said has been the truth. Iruka hates the Kyuubi for attacking the village and killing his parents."

"Naruto is not the Kyuubi!" Iruka shouted. With speed far quicker than someone who was struck by a giant shuriken should be capable of, the scarred Chunin grabbed onto the Fumma shuriken by the small ringlet in the center, stood up, then spun around and tossed it at Mizuki. The giant weapon spun, the air whistling as it ripped towards the other Chunin with the intent of impaling him to the tree he stood upon.

Mizuki however, had no intention of letting himself get struck. He jumped over the shuriken, letting it pass under him and sail off into the distance, before dropping to the ground. He walked over to them, stopping just a few meters from the pair and assumed a casual stance, seemingly not worried about being attacked.

And why should he be worried? One of them was an academy student, albeit he was more talented than most, but still just a student. And the other was an injured chunin who looked like he was on his last leg. There was nothing for him to fear from these two.

"I don't know why you're protecting that beast, Iruka," Mizuki said, placing a hand on his shoulder and popping his neck while he did so. "But I suppose it doesn't matter. It's not like I was going to let you live anyways, so I suppose I'll just kill you here."

Placing a hand upon the second Fumma shuriken on his back, Mizuki gripped it tightly, then brought it down to his side and began spinning it with his chakra.

"Now die!"

Once more, Mizuki launched a shuriken at the pair, this time aiming to take out Iruka. As the spinning blades of the large four pointed throwing star flew towards him, Iruka stood his ground. It was clear to everyone that he didn't have to strength to counter this. Equally clear was that he had no intention of getting out of the way. He could have dodged, but then Naruto would have been in the line of fire, and he couldn't allow that.

An orange blur suddenly shot past him.

A clang sounded out as the shuriken was intercepted by a bokuto.

Iruka blinked.

"Naruto?"

Standing in front of Iruka, Naruto glared at the silver haired traitor before them. In his hands was a bokuto, the same one he used for training. He stood in the kendo stance that his grandfather had taught him, a strong stance with both feet planted on the ground shoulders width apart, and his blade held in front of him with the tip pointed towards the sky at a forty five degree angle. It was clear from this and the look on his face that he had made his decision on who to believe.

The glow of the containment seal on his right hand, which had contained his training blade, faded back into his skin.

"If you hurt my sensei..."

Naruto's hands started to shake.

"If you hurt my sensei..."

He began to grit his teeth so hard his gums started to bleed.

"What will you do?" asked Mizuki, scoffing at the teen. While he had looked surprised by the fact that Naruto knew about seals and had managed to seal a sword into his hand, he managed to recover quite admirably. He was confident this child, talented as he was, wouldn't be able to lay a finger on him.

"If you hurt my sensei I'll kill you, that's what!"

"You? Kill me?" Mizuki began to laugh for several seconds before abruptly cutting himself off. "Don't make me laugh! You can't kill me! Oh I'll give you credit, you are talented, but you're still nothing more than a brat! A child! An academy student! There is no way you can take me on by yourself!"

Naruto blinked.

"You're right."

"E-eh?"

Clearly that was not what Mizuki was expecting him to say, if one were to judge by the look of shock on his face. From the way Iruka was staring at Naruto's back with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, he wasn't expecting the red haired teen to say that either.

"I know I can't beat you by myself," Naruto admitted, shifting his stance. His left hand released it's hold on his sword, allowing him to bring the hand up to his face where he formed a seal. It was strange looking, the middle and pinky fingers were straight, while the index finger was bent at a ninety degree angle and the ring finger was also not just bent but also pulled back. It vaguely resembled a cross, and it was something neither men had seen before.

"Single handed seals?"

Mizuki looked at the red head in shock. This boy couldn't really use single handed seals, could he? It was almost unheard of!

"I may not be able to beat you on my own," Naruto started with a grin. "But you see, I'm not really on my own anymore. Let me show you this new jutsu I learned just for you, Mizuki-_sensei_."

Mizuki's and Iruka's eyes widened as Naruto called out the name of his newest jutsu.

"Tajū Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!"

* * *

><p><strong>Shinobi of Jurai<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto lay on his back atop the head of the Yondaime Hokage, staring up at the sky. It was dark out now, with only the multiple stars and the moon twinkling in the sky to illuminate his surroundings. There were thousands of tiny lights, probably millions floating out there, too many to count. The stars and moon presented a nearly phantasmal beauty that simply seemed to incredible to be real.<p>

It was about an hour after Naruto had unveiled his new ability, Shadow Clones, and unleashed unholy hell upon Mizuki. The man may have been able to defeat Naruto one on one, but it seemed that defeated over a thousand kendo using Naruto's was a bit out of his league. A bit being an understatement, the man had been beaten black and blue by the red head. He definitely wouldn't be waking up from that physically induced a coma anytime soon.

As he looked up at the sky, Naruto tightened his grip on the two items in his hand. His left hand contained his new headband, Iruka's old headband that the Chunin had given him. While the graduation exam he had been given was apparently a fluke, the scarred Chunin had decided that due to his ability to use the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ Naruto was more than qualified to pass. The circumstances behind his ascension into the ranks of Konoha's ninja force wasn't the greatest, but Naruto wasn't going to complain.

In his other hand Naruto held a crumpled up letter that his grandfather had left with the Hokage, one of many that the aging Sandaime had apparently. However, this was the only one Sarutobi would give to him right now, claiming that to gain the next letter he needed to be a Chunin in rank.

That kind of rankled Naruto. What would the Hokage have done if he had decided that he didn't want to be ninja, but a Shinto Priest like his grandfather instead? Would he have still given Naruto the letters?

According to Sarutobi when asked he would have, it would have just taken him much longer to get them. There were two letters that Naruto would have eventually received; the first was the one in his hand, and he would have gotten it on his sixteenth birthday had he not chosen to enter the academy, the second one he would have received when he turned eighteen. Now while he may have gotten his first letter soon had he not entered the academy, his second letter had the possibility of coming much later. Now instead of waiting two years all Naruto had to do was enter the Chunin Exams and become a Chunin, something he would have to opportunity to do bi annually each year if the sensei he would be with let him.

Easy enough, right?

Naruto held the letter up to his face once more. Even though it was dark, with only the light of the moon and stars illuminating the world around him, the red head was perfectly capable of reading the letter:

_Dear grandson,_

_If you are reading this than it means that the lingering chakra poisoning from the Kyuubi no Yoko has caused my untimely demise. For that I would like to apologize, for though it is my wish to tell you these words in person, I am unable to do so._

_I am sure you must be wondering what this letter is about so I will get right to the point. Sixteen years ago the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked Konoha. The Yondaime Hokage, a man known as Minato Namikaze, defeated it, this you already know. What you do not know is that he did not kill the spirit fox. You see, the Kyuubi is a being composed of pure energy, raw energy, and as such it is impossible to truly kill. The only way to defeat such a creature was to seal it, as I am sure you have already guessed from the contents of this letter, the person it was sealed into is you._

_I know what you must be thinking, but please do not fret. You are not the Kyuubi, you are merely it's container, it's jailor, and even though the people of Konoha do not recognize you as such, you are a hero for keeping it from destroying the village._

_Now that you know this, it is your sworn duty to uphold your families honor and keep the Kyuubi from causing anymore destruction. This does not mean, however, that you should reject the great creature inside of you. There is much more to the being known as the Kyuubi no Yoko than people realize or remember, and while I can not tell you everything, I can inform you that you should not allow your hatred of the fox to guide your actions when interacting with it. Remember this, for it will be important in the future._

_I have taken care of you since you were a baby, and though you were given your mother, and grandmother's maiden name of Uzumaki, you are also a Masaki. No matter what anyone tells you remember that myself, your mother, and your father all love you and will be very proud of you no matter what path in life you wish to take._

_There will be many hardships on the road ahead, but I have faith that you will be able to overcome them and become the great man you were always meant to be._

_Your loving grandfather,_

_Katsuhito Masaki._

_P.S. Be sure to practice your swordsmanship everyday. Even if you plan on becoming a ninja, you should not disregard your heritage._

_P.S.S. I have left two letters with Sarutobi, this one, and one that you must either be a Chunin ranked shinobi, or eighteen years of age. Be sure to let that old monkey know that any breach in our agreement will bring the wrath of my spirit upon him._

Naruto dropped the hand from his face and closed his eyes. The letter had gone a long way to easing his fears, the fears he held about his grandfather hating him and only keeping an eye on him in case he went into a berserking rampage. He still held some lingering doubts, but assumed they were just the by product of Mizuki's attempt to discombobulate him to make him feel despair before killing him.

And perhaps he should even be grateful for the events of today. He had learned much, even if a lot of it was shocking. Today had gone a long way to explaining the events of his life, the reason for the hatred of the villagers, and just what it meant for him. While Naruto had always tried to not let their revulsion of him bring him down, it was impossible not to feel pained everytime he was glared at (which was all the time), or all the times he was overcharged for clothing and food, or even the times when parents would pull their children away from him while telling them he was dangerous and they shouldn't play with it. He now understood why they hated him so much, yet rather than let this get him down, Naruto decided it would be what drove him to become better.

He would become the best shinobi in the entire world, stronger than all the other Kage's combine. He would become so powerful that no one would want to fight him. Naruto would become the greatest warrior on the entire planet.

"You hear me!"

Without warning Naruto shot to his feet, his hands coming up to cup his mouth as he yelled down to the village sleeping peacefully beneath him.

"I am going to become the most powerful Shinobi in the world! Nothing's going to stop me from reaching my goal! I'll become better than everyone!"

Done shouting, he let his arms drop and leaned back, a smile on his face. That felt surprisingly satisfying. His grandfather may have palmed his face, then dumped a crap load of chores on him, but even if that was in the cards it still would have been worth it.

"My, my," a voice spoke up from behind him. "I wonder where such confidence comes from." It was soft, feminine, and had a highly seductive quality that sent shivers down the red head's spine.

It also scared the ever living shit out of him.

Whirling around, Naruto found himself staring at a woman. No, not a woman. There was no way a mere mortal could be this beautiful, nor this seductive.

The person standing before him was female. She had long cyan hair that ran down the back of her head in spikes and seemed to defy gravity as they swept back horizontally. She had her eyes closed, so Naruto could not see what color they were, but her face was certainly nothing to scoff at. A heart shaped face with very feminine features, high cheek bones, red lips, all attached to a slender neck presented the image of a young woman of great sensuality. Raw liquid sex.

And that was to say nothing about her body. Even beneath the strange clothing she wore, an unusual green dress with sleeves that puffed out near the shoulders, but tightened as they went further along her arms, a bottom that separated into two pointed haves like some kind of cape and possessed of a longer than average collar the was tight around her neck he could see the bountiful curves she possessed.

The rest of her outfit consisted of a strange pink jacket of some kind. At least, Naruto assumed it was a jacket. The pink cloth consisted of two strips that ran over her breasts, leaving the center of her green dress exposed. Around the middle was a black obi that held the cloth together, and below that the pink fabric split into two ends that similar to that of a kimono. Long, shapely legs were covered in pale red tights. It was definitely a strange outfit, especially when one noticed the odd looking slightly pointed boots on her feet.

"You know it's impolite to stare," the woman's seductive voice reached his ears. It was light, feminine, yet slightly husky and Naruto could not keep the shiver that went down his back, nor the blush that erupted on his face from forming. The woman seemed to find this amusing, judging by the widening of her smile.

"Ah... I'm sorry," Naruto quickly averted his eyes so as not to be caught staring. It was a bit late for that, but one must give the boy credit for trying.

"Hmm... well, at least you know a hot woman when you see one, eh?" The cyan haired female placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward, giving him a leer all the while. Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously.

"So... uh, what exactly are you doing up here?" he asked. "Not many people ever come up here." Actually, Naruto was the only one who ever came up here these days. His grandfather used to come up here as well, when he was alive. Naruto remembered a time when they would watch the sunset from up here, drinking tea and eating rice cakes as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. Now that his grandfather was dead, he was the only person who ever visited this place.

"Why, I was looking for you?" the woman said. Naruto blinked, once, twice, thrice. An owlish look crossed his face as he raised a hand to his face and pointed at himself. The woman's amused smile widened. "Yes, you," she answered, and Naruto had to wonder how it was that she seemed capable of seeing what he was going when she had her eyes closed.

"Erm..." Naruto tried to gather his wits as he posed the question now running through his mind. "Why would you want to see me?"

"Ryoko."

"E-Eh?"

"That's my name."

"Ryoko?" Naruto tasted the name. There was a several second pause as it bounced around in his head. That name, it sounded familiar. Where he had heard it before...

"No..." Naruto whispered, his eyes widening. "Don't tell me your...?"

"That's right." The woman, Ryoko, finally opened her eyes. It was just a slit, but that was more than enough for Naruto to see what they looked like.

Pale yellow eyes with catlike pupils that were glowing with powers.

Before he knew what was happening, several dozen orbs surrounded him. They were orange, and seemed to glow with repressed power. As a sensor, Naruto could feel the raw energy leaking from them, almost unfathomable in it's depth. It was enough to make him shiver.

"Your the demon that was sealed inside of that cave for seven hundred years." It wasn't a question, and Naruto was surprised he even managed to speak.

Ryoko seemed to suppress a shiver as she held herself. "It was cold in there, and dark." She closed her eyes. "I was trapped in that cave for so long, and I didn't like it, I didn't like it at all!" Her eyes snapped open and she glared at Naruto. "All I want now is revenge!"

"It's not like it's my fault you were sealed!" Naruto shouted, surprising himself that he was even capable of doing such when faced with a demon.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh no?"

"No! It was my ancestor that sealed you. Some guy named Yosho!"

"I don't care." The now unsealed and very much alive demon raised her right hand above her head. All of the orbs that had been surrounding Naruto suddenly moved very swiftly towards her. They gathered, coalescing above the palm of her hand into a single sphere. And when she clenched her hand around it, the energy morphed into some kind of energy sword, a beam of orange power. She swung the blade down, bringing it in front of her now grinning face. "I just need to let out my anger on you, right now!" And with that, she jumped.

Soaring through the air, Ryoko brought the energy blade above her head, then swung down as she reached Naruto.

"Oh shit!"

Jumping back, Naruto retreated with a series of back flips, and was very grateful that he did when, a moment later Ryoko hit the ground, causing it to crack and crater like someone had dropped a ten ton anvil on it. Just how strong was this woman?

During one of his moments of being aerial, his hand reached into his kunai pouch, and he hurried pulled out and flicked three shuriken Ryoko's way. He doubted that would do much more than give him enough to time grant him some breathing space, and he was right. The shuriken didn't even scratch Ryoko, though she did stop running towards him. Her energy blade flashed around her and took out each shuriken with a precise slash.

"So you want to play with fire, do you boy?" Ryoko asked with a maniacal grin. She held her hand out, palm facing him. "Very well." the orange energy blade shifted into a single orb of light. "Why don't you try this on for size?" The ball of condensed energy shot towards him faster than any kunai he had ever seen. It was nothing more than a blur!

"God dammit!"

Naruto jumped to his left. It was a good thing he had predicted she would launch something at him as soon as he had seen the blade being condensed into an orb, for not a moment after he moved did the sphere of raw energy explode against the ground, sending rock fragments everywhere as the area the sphere struck was lit up in an explosion.

"Dear god! This woman's like her own exploding tag!"

Naruto's words were a gross understatement as he run from the exploding balls of light that were trying to blow him to bits. Those things were way more powerful than some simple exploding tag. He should know, seeing as he was capable of making those and had even done some experimenting with them.

"Hahahaha!" The Cyan haired demon laughed as she continued firing orb after orb of powerful explosive energy. Naruto was forced to move quicker, swerving left and right in a zigzagging pattern to avoid getting hit by one of the flying energy balls.

This seriously wasn't cool! Who the hell did this woman think she was! A character from Dragon Ball Z?

"What's the matter Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened when Ryoko appeared before him with startling suddenness, her energy blade already in hand and swinging to cut him off at the neck. It wasn't like a ninja when they came at him in a burst of speed. This was quick, instantaneous. It was almost like...

Teleportation.

Naruto didn't have time to test his theory on her mode of travel. While the woman's ability to transport herself to him instantly was frightening, she thankfully didn't have a swing anywhere near as fast. The red head ducked under the arm, shoulder rolling behind her and kipping back to his feet. He continued to run, heading towards the forest near his grandfather's shrine.

"You're going to have to run a lot faster than that, human."

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked to his left and saw Ryoko keeping pace with him. No, she wasn't keeping pace. Such a thing would imply running. The demon was flying alongside him, her feet hovering several inches above the ground.

Great, just great, a flying demon. How unfair was that?

Ryoko swung at him again, her energy blade sizzling the air around it. Once more, Naruto ducked, but this time rather than moving forward he jumped to the side, away from Ryoko. A good thing to as the Cyan haired demon was already swinging at where he would have been if he had rolled forward.

He went through several more skips to his left, Ryoko tailing him, swinging her sword wildly as she laughed like some kind of psychotic mad woman. Naruto ducked, dodged and wove between the energy blade as it tried to slice him apart. He tried bringing out a kunai to block the sizzling beam of orange energy, but found out quickly that doing such was a bad idea when his kunai was sliced in half, both ends glowing red to show they had been melted through.

Definitely a bad idea.

Naruto was beginning to get desperate. The woman's assault, while kind of sloppy, was relentless. To top it off, that energy blade she was using made counterattacking impossible. Anything that could cut through steel with that much ease was not something he wanted slicing into his flesh. In short, he needed a way to distract her so he could make a tactical retreat.

Fortunately, Naruto had always been rather quick on his feet. The answer came to him quickly.

He sidestepped around a downward slash from the beam of pure energy. Then just as quickly ducked under a horizontal swing that would have taken his head off. He continued to move, relying on the training he had done with his grandfather and even after the man had died to keep away from all the attacks sent his way. Despite Naruto not being very good at taijutsu, his training ensure that he at least excelled in dodging attacks. It was the reason he always received top marks when sparring came around. Even though he had no style to speak of, and could only throw sloppy punches and kicks, his ability to perceive attacks and dodge them accordingly, combined with his incredibly high level of energy ensured that he would be able to continue fighting long after his opponents ran out of steam and finish the job when they were incapable of fighting back. Naruto put that same talent here to good use as he waited for an opening.

That opening soon came when the madly laughing demon came in with a thrust. It was an unusual attack since she had not done so in their entire fight so far, but Naruto wasn't going to complain. He made a single step to the right, then grabbed the woman's arm and gripped it tightly.

"What the –!?"

Naruto ignored Ryoko's shocked expression as he stepped forward one step, while simultaneously yanking the demon closer to him.

Ryoko tried to attack in spite of being off balance. She managed to yank her wrist out of his grip and came in with another slash. But Naruto twisted his body in such a way that allowed him to avoid the attack, then used the momentum to spin on the balls of his feet.

Then he was behind her. Naruto quickly jumped away several steps, then stopped, his hands coming up to form a ram seal.

"Surrender," he ordered the demon. Ryoko paused mid run, stopped, blinked, then, after registering his words, laughed.

"Why should I, brat?"

"Because if you don't then I'll be forced to end you."

"Ha," Ryoko snorted out a laugh at what she assumed was simply bravado. "I'd like to see you try!"

"Very well," Naruto shrugged his shoulder while maintaining his handseal. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Kai!"

"Kai?"

Ryoko only had time to blink and get out that one word before a loud sizzling was heard behind her. Turning her head, the cyan haired demon eyed the paper tag filled with intricate lines and the kanji for 'explosion' on it as it hissed and smoked.

"Well this doesn't look good."

Truer words had never been said. The paper bomb Naruto had attached to Ryoko's back during his last move at dodging the woman exploded with concussive force. A large, bright ball of orange fire erupted around the woman, causing her to disappear within the flames. Doing the smart thing, Naruto decided he didn't want to stick around to see if the woman had survived. He took off into the woods.

Had he stuck around, he may have seen Ryoko walking out of the fire.

Had he stuck around, he would have most definitely seen how pissed off she was.

* * *

><p><strong>Shinobi of Jurai<strong>

* * *

><p>It was a clear testament to just how good Naruto's eyes were that he was capable of running through the forest in the middle of the night at full speed. It was nearly completely dark outside, at least in the forest. The canopy of branches and leaves above him completely blocked out what little light there was from the moon and stars. Yet despite this the red haired newly minted shinobi of Konoha wove around the foliage in his path with ease, twisting and turning as he dodged incoming tree trunks, tree branches, and the larger bushes that stood in his way.<p>

He wasn't sure how long he had been running for, time seemed almost meaningless in the face of having combated against the demon that had been sealed in his families shrine for seven hundred years. And speaking of combat, just where the hell were those damned ANBU when you need them! He had been fighting for his life on top of that monument, and the amount of explosions that mad woman had produced should have been more than enough to evoke a response from Konoha's ninja. At the very least someone should have been sent to investigate!

It looked like response within the homestead was slow around here. He was going to have some words with the old man Hokage if he got out of this alive.

"You damn brat! Placing an explosive on me! That's no way to treat a lady!"

Well, it looked like there was a very good chance of him not making it out of this alive. Damn that woman's persistent.

Without looking back Naruto swerved around a tree and ducked just in time to avoid being bisected by the energy blade. The tree wasn't so lucky and was cut off at the trunk. It fell to the floor with a thunderish crash, shaking up rubble and sending the animals that had made the tree their home scurrying. Naruto still didn't look back as he continued running, hoping to outpace the woman.

"Get back here and take your hits like a man you!"

No such luck it seemed. Naruto soon found himself being forced to avoid more attacks from that blade of pulsating energy, and more trees found themselves being sent to the ground with a loud crash as they were sliced straight through like hot butter being cut with a knife.

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" Naruto swore through gritted teeth as he zipped his way across the forest, using his knowledge of the terrain to his advantage in staying one step ahead of the demon Ryoko. It helped, but not by much as the woman doggedly clung to him, slicing away with that beam of hers. It was becoming abundantly clear that he couldn't dodge all night. All it would take was one lucky stroke of her sword and he would be finished.

He needed a plan.

The only problem was he didn't have one.

Thankfully, a solution presented itself to him soon enough.

It was after Naruto had used the smoke bombs he kept in his pouch, a necessary item for any ninja, to cover his retreat. He had used them all, throwing them directly in the demon's face and causing her to being coughing and hacking away as she swore at him. He had left the growing cloud of black smoke behind him, and eventually found himself leaning against a tree trying to regain his breath.

"Damn... that woman..." he huffed, his shoulders making visibly exaggerated movements with each breath. "How am I... supposed to fight... someone... like that..." The biggest problem he could see was that energy sword she possessed. It could cut through both steel and trees like they were air, and if it could cut through that than it would easily be capable of slicing him into small chunks of flesh. So long as that energy sword was out, and he assumed it would always be around since it was made from her energy (which she didn't seem to be running out of any time soon), and he had no way of countering it, Naruto would be unable to actually beat her. Or even fight on more even terms.

It was during that moment, when Naruto was cursing that woman's choice of combat, that a glow coming from his kunai pouched made him refocus his attention.

Reaching into the pouch, Naruto's hand wrapped around whatever was glowing and pulled it out. The item in question was the hilt of the blade he had taken from the cave Ryoko had been sealed into. Upon taking a closer look at the hilt, Naruto noticed something odd about it. The top where the tsuba had once sat between hilt and blade was gone, and instead two horn like protrusion on either side and a small cylinder in between them could be seen.

They must have been hidden by the tsuba, Naruto reasoned, and judging from the small hole in the cylinder something was made to come out of it. At first, Naruto believed that it was the blade that had shattered that was supposed to do so, but upon further thought disabused himself of that notion. The hilt was shorter than the blade by at least two thirds, there was no point in the blade being hidden within the hilt since it was too long to hide inside of it. Plus the hole was not a slit like the blade, but a small, circular hole. It was completely round.

"I wonder..." Naruto mused to himself, just before someone decided to interrupt him.

"I've got'cha now!"

Looking up, Naruto saw Ryoko descending upon him from one of the tree branches above him. She was already swinging her sword down to split him in half, and the red head realized that he had no time to dodge.

That just left one option, and he preyed to every Shinto god he could think of that this worked or he would be in for a very short, yet painful and bloody death.

Naruto raised the sword above his head, and unleashed the floodgates that kept his chakra at bay.

Like a raging ocean in the middle of a hurricane his chakra roared through his body. It was chaotic, powerful, and yet at the same time, soothing and familiar. It felt like the caress of a lover, brought forth the feelings of being reunited with a piece of himself he had long thought lost. And as that energy flowed forth, Naruto directed it towards the hilt.

A beam of blue energy sprang forth, emerging from the hilt of the blade within a split second. Ryoko's descend was halted as she suddenly found her orange beam of energy being blocked by Naruto's own energy sword. The two blades sizzled and crackled against each other, both trying to overpower the other with little success.

"Hey, that's no fair," Ryoko whined piteously. "You're cheating!"

"Says the woman whose been launching energy blasts at me!"

Naruto grit his teeth as he used all the strength he possessed to shove Ryoko away from him. It seemed he had more strength than he had originally believed. What he had hoped would simply push the woman off of him, ended up sending her stumbling several steps back. Naruto blinked. Ryoko blinked. They both adopted almost similar expressions of surprise, before the blond managed to shrug it off. He wove his blade around him in an intricate pattern, a blur of light following in the wake of his movement, before adopting the stance of his grandfather's sword style.

"Besides, I'm a ninja. If I'm not cheating than I'm not trying."

"Ha!" Ryoko barked out a laugh. "Well at least you're not shy about admitting that you cheat! Very well then," She held up her free hand, palm facing the sky, and made a 'come here' motion wither her fingers. "Show me what you can do!"

"With pleasure!"

Naruto was quick to launch himself into the battle anew. He wasn't quite sure why, this woman was a demon after all, and he was quite positive that he still had no chance of winning against her, even with a way to counter her energy blade.

Perhaps it was the sword he now possessed. Maybe the feel of a sword in his hand had given him the confidence to confront this woman head on.

Or maybe it was the fact that his sword was made of his chakra, just like her's was made of her own energy. He could now counter her attacks.

Another theory was that it could be the thought of a sword fight that got his blood pumping. It had been a long time since Naruto had sparred with his grandfather after all, and this was the perfect test to see how far he had come.

Then again, it could just be that Naruto had randomly developed a reckless streak. Who knows. The answer just wasn't there, and so Naruto didn't even bother thinking about why he was about to attack a several hundred year old demon head on, and just attacked.

He came in like a bolt of lightning, striking out with a series of lightning fast swings that were less designed to deal actual damage, and more of a means of testing an opponents defenses. An overhand slash was followed by a graceful underhand slash, which flowed into a horizontal attack as Naruto spun on the balls of his feet. The attacks caused Ryoko to actually stumble back in surprise as she moved her blade out to block each strike. It was clear she had not expected such a quick assault from Naruto, whose combat strategy so far had consisted of running away.

Naruto continued using speedy slashes and light maneuvering around his opponent to launch several attacks at Ryoko from different angles. He came in with a lightning fast, overhead slash that was quickly blocked by Ryoko. Rather than simply pull back and allow her a chance to launch her own attack, the red head pressed against her blade, creating a loud crackle as the two energy clashed. Ryoko used her own strength to try and overpower Naruto's blade as it bared down on her, only to realize that keeping the blue blade at bay was more difficult than she thought it would be. Naruto not only had the height advantage, his sword was pressing down on hers so he had the advantage of gravity and weight as well. That, and he was surprisingly strong physically.

Just where did strength come from? She was certain he hadn't possessed it several seconds ago?

It was just as Naruto felt that Ryoko was putting almost all her strength into keeping his blade at bay, that he suddenly released all of the weight he had been baring down on her. This caused Ryoko to lose her balance as her sword swung high above her head, leaving her completely open to his next attack.

Naruto came in with a slash that would have sliced her apart at the hips, were it not for the woman doing her disappearing act. It was not a matter of instinct that had Naruto rolling forward across the ground, but common sense. If one wants to gain the advantage in a battle and attack, it was best to launch an assault where their opponent was not capable of seeing them.

And the best place to do that was from behind.

Ryoko's energy hissed and sizzled as it struck the air where Naruto had been previously. The red haired shinobi kipped back to his feet, spun about, and raised his blade, blocking the next swing from the previously sealed demon.

Back and forth the two traded blows, a dance of blades that was as beautiful as it was deadly. Every swing left a streak of either orange or blue energy in it's wake, every clash of blades caused sparks to flare. The end result was like watching those laser light shows that you can sometimes find at the clubs in Konoha's underground.

Or maybe it would be more accurate to say it looked like a fight between a jedi and a Sith. It certainly looked like the two were reenacting the battle between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in the Return of the Jedi.

The breaking of the fourth wall notwithstanding, the battle between the two continued. Throughout it all Naruto was surprised to find himself keeping pace with the demon of ancient legends. He was a good swordsmen, he knew that. Everyday Naruto trained in the skills his grandfather had imparted to him, from before the sun began it's rise in the morning to the time he had to begin his duties as Shrine caretaker, as well as from the moment he left school to when the sun began to set. While he practiced many things to increase his skills as a ninja, from his handsealing speed to even creating one handed seals to use in conjunction with his sword, it was his kendo that Naruto spent most of his focus on.

So yeah, he could say with perfect accuracy that he was a pretty damn good swordsman, better than any other genin that's for sure. He may even be better than a few of the Chunin who practiced kenjutsu, the ninja style sword arts.

However, being better than a Chunin was a long way to being capable of fighting a several thousand year old demon on even terms. Then again, hadn't this demon been sealed for seven hundred years? Maybe she had gotten rusty. Perhaps her strength wasn't what it used to be. Naruto didn't care, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

With his new found strength, Naruto used the time it afforded him to study the woman as they fought. Whatever the case in his ability to keep up with her was, it was still clear that the woman had talent. She was quick, she was strong, and while her swings were wild and graceless they had a raw power and unpredictability that one couldn't help but admire.

That being said Naruto wasn't looking at her style, but trying to determine just how she was able to use that blade of hers. The only reason he had an energy blade was due to the hilt he had kept from when he was inside of the cave. This woman used no hilt, instead her blade was just pure energy that she held in her hand.

How was such a thing possible? And where was that energy coming from? These were the questions Naruto needed answered if he ever hoped to beat her.

It was as Ryoko was just after he they clashed again, their blades meeting between them that Naruto saw where her power was coming from.

On her left wrist was a glowing blue jewel. Jewels don't normally glow like that, Naruto had sure never seen anything like it, and quickly theorized that it was the source of her power.

Now all that was left to do was rid her of it and he would be able to defeat her.

Simple, right?

Naruto began to backpedal as Ryoko released a flurry of slashes and stabs his way. His own blade flashed out in an arc of blue light, intercepting those few attacks that came too close for coming and pushing them away. He used his backwards fighting retreat to buy himself some time. He would probably only get one shot at this, so he needed to make it count. With a surprising amount of patience for someone who was in the middle of combat, Naruto waited until Ryoko made a mistake that he could capitulate on.

Sidestep, spin, parry, thrust, dodge, jump back. Naruto allowed himself to fall into the flow of battle, weaving and dodging, parrying and blocking, attacking and counterattacking. He flowed from one movement to the next, never stopping as he and Ryoko continued to battle.

Constant motion.

An endless string of lights that carved a path through the darkened forest. Naruto continued to move, continued to defend, to attack, to stay immersed within the battle that seemed to have caused time itself to stand still.

And then, he saw it, his opening.

"You're pretty good!" Ryoko laughed as she brought her blade back behind her torso, then thrust it out in a quick stabbing motion. Naruto moved, one step the side. His blade blue blade locked with Ryoko's orange. Rotating his wrist clockwise, Naruto forced Ryoko's blade to swing wide. The woman stumbled forward, her balance lost, eyes wide. Naruto took a single step forward and swung his blade up.

It was all over.

Jumping back, Naruto put some distance between him and he now one-handed demon. He had managed to slice the arm holding her gem off at the wrist. The once brightly glowing gem was now a dull red, lifeless as it lay on the ground. There was a single brief flare from within, before the gem exploded in a shower of flames, smoke, and debris. Naruto and Ryoko ignored it as they stared each other down.

The old fashioned stare down would be broken by Ryoko when she looked away. "Oh well, another battle lost," she sighed, letting out a long exhale of breath. "That's the story of my life." She raised her now handless wrist to her face and pouted.

"Ah... a-are you ok?" Naruto asked, then he blinked.

Why had he asked the woman that had just tried killing him if she was ok?

"Just an OOC moment, Naruto," he said to himself. "Just ignore it and it will go away."

As expected of the main hero, he was more than capable of breaking the fourth wall.

Ryoko giggled at him, causing the blond to look back at her to see the woman smiling a close eyed smile. She held up her remaining hand, index finger pointing up. It was glowing a light blue. Like a magician performing for an audience, the Cyan haired demon made a grand show of bringing her glowing hand to her now missing hand. She brought both arms together near her chest in what would have looked like a prayer sign, were it not for the simple fact that she was missing a hand.

How about a half prayer sign then?

Pulling her arms apart, Ryoko revealed that her once missing hand was now back in place. It was as if Naruto had never cut it off in the first place.

It was way cooler than a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

"Oh wow!" Naruto said, his eyes widening. "That was awesome! How did you do that? Some kind of demonic regeneration or something? Are you using your own energy to recreate your hand? Or is it actually healing like some kind of supped up medical ninjutsu?"

"Now, now," Ryoko said with an amused smile and giggle. "You know that a magician never gives away her secrets. They wouldn't be very amazing otherwise."

"Ah," Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "Right."

"Ha... well, I suppose since I lost this is where we part ways," Ryoko stated, then bowed dramatically. "Goodnight."

Naruto watched as the woman sunk into the ground. He would have assumed she was using some kind of earth based ninjutsu, but that would have at least moved the ground when she made her decent. This was more like she had just become intangible and sank beneath the surface. It was weird, but really cool at the same time.

As Ryoko disappeared, Naruto suddenly felt inexplicably tired. With the adrenaline leaving his body, all the little aches and pains he hadn't noticed before finally caught up to him. His arms felt like led, his legs like someone had dropped the Hokage monument on him, and his hands began shaking as they realized as the phantom pains from when he and Ryoko had clashed blades came to him. And that was not even mentioning that he had just finished a fight with Mizuki before this whole fiasco happened.

"Ugh," Naruto groaned. "I need to sleep."

With the slow trudge of a zombie, Naruto began his march back home.

It had been a long night, and he deserved some rest.

* * *

><p><strong>Shinobi of Jurai<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto's apartment was in the poorer section of Konoha, poorer being a relative term. Compared to some of the other cities within Hi no Kuni's borders, the poor district in Konoha was rather nice. There was no crime here, and the red lights district was very tame, one of the benefits the place had for being a ninja village.<p>

The apartment he lived in wasn't bad either. It was plan a plan looking two story building with plaster walls and red roofing. The complex wasn't that big, not that it needed to be. Naruto was the only one who lived there. Thanks to that he pretty much owned the apartment. He didn't even need to pay rent because of that, just the funds necessary for the utilities. A good thing too since he was often overcharged for things like clothes, food, and ninja equipment.

The room he had chosen was on the second floor, first door on the right. After pulling the keys out of his pocket, Naruto opened the door to his house ready and more than willing to fall onto his bed and sleep like the dead.

His apartment was a small three room apartment consisted of a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen/dining room. There wasn't much more to it than that. It was fairly neat, tidy, yet with just enough mess to give it a 'lived in' feel. The walls were an off white plaster that was slightly cracked with age and a lack of care, not for lack of caring but simply due to a lack of funds to care for it. His wooden floorboard was creaky and in desperate need of a wax shop to get rid it of the scuff marks and scratches. And much like everything, the tiling of his ceiling left a lot to be desired.

Still, it was home, even if it sometimes didn't feel like it.

After locking his door, Naruto moved through the house with monstrously slow steps. He made it to his bedroom, yawning as one hand stretched up above his head and the other scratched his stomach. He couldn't believe how tired he was.

No. wait, scratch that. Yes he could. With all the crap he had been through since this morning from the release of Ryoko, to his failed graduation test, to his fake make up graduation test, finding out about the Kyuubi, fighting Mizuki and then his battle with Ryoko, Naruto was more than ready to call it quits for the day.

Without pausing or even shedding himself of his clothes, Naruto crawled into his bed, lifting the covers and making himself comfortable under it. His eyes were already closed by the time he had lain down, so he didn't pay attention to the body length pillowed that he had grabbed and snuggled himself against.

He sighed deeply, content with himself as he began drifting to sleep. While the day had not gone as planned, he was pleased with how it turned out. Naruto knew why he was hated, he learned a new jutsu, he managed to beat the crap out of Mizuki, and he had fought against a several thousand year old demon on even terms. Yes, despite how tiring it was today was a good day. And so, Naruto let the warmth his pillow was generating lull him into a sleep.

Wait. Pillows didn't generate warmth did they? Come to think of it, this pillow was awfully hard in some places, and he didn't think pillows breathed either...

Naruto's eyes snapped wide open.

No. No, no, no, nononononono! It couldn't be!

But it was. As Naruto, finding himself suddenly wide awake once more, jumped up and threw the covering off, he found none other than Ryoko laying in his bed. She was laying on her back, eyes closed and seemingly asleep. The top half of her green dress was opened partly, revealing a tantalizing view of her bosom. Even in his near freaking out state, Naruto could not help but give the look of soft, slightly tanned skin a long look.

Hey, he was a hot blooded teenage male with overflowing hormones. Give him a break.

Ryoko wasn't as asleep as she appeared to be. Seconds after Naruto had jumped off the bed her eyes fluttered open. She looked over at the red head, and in that seductive voice she had used when they first met, practically purred out, "welcome home, Naruto."

It had been a long night, and Naruto realized upon seeing this woman laying on his bed, that the night still wasn't quite over yet.

Damn, Shikamaru was right. Woman are troublesome.

* * *

><p><strong>So, this is something I've had in my head for a while now, but with all my other stories I really don't have time to write it myself. So I present to all of you the Shinobi of Jurai, NarutoTenchi Muyo crossover challenge. Before any of you decide to take it, I have a list of small requirements that you must use in this story down below.**

**Requirements:**

**1. The first requirement is a technical one. I am sure you all noticed that this chapter was very long, ridiculously so in fact. I want you to know right now that I am not expecting anyone taking this chapter to write out 20,000 + word chapters. If you can do that, more power to you, but if not don't worry. The only reason this first chapter was so damn long was because I wanted to give you all a base to work with by presenting the technical first episodes of both Naruto and Tenchi Muyo in order to make your work a bit easier. This chapter, depending on your writing style could easily be split into two or three chapters. Now, the minimum word count requirement for each chapter is 4,500 words. Honestly, I do not think this is an unreasonable requirement. No one wants to read a story with 1,000 or heaven forbid 500 word chapters. You simply can't fit anything in a chapter that short, it would be more like a preview to a chapter than the actual chapter itself. So, 4,500 words per chapter minimum. If you can go over that than I salute you, but if not so long as you don't go under I won't care.**

**2. Pairings! As far as the romance goes, Tenchi Muyo runs under what it considered your standard harem styled anime. Simply put, you have a bunch of cute alien girls who end up falling in love with a single man and end up fighting over him. Therefore, this story will be a harem simply because that is keeping with the romantic aspects of Tenchi Muyo. This does not mean that you can make this a story where every female falls in love with Naruto. I don't want this becoming a mass harem smut fest. Naruto can only end up with four girls, two of them must be Ayeka and Ryoko. Why? Because they are the most obvious when it comes to who has affection for him of course. The other two can be anyone from either the Naruto universe, or the Tenchi Muyo universe. But those two must be in it.**

**3. Thirdly, this is NOT a bashing fic. I don't want to see any ridiculous bashing of Sasuke, Sakura, or any other hated characters. Trust me, I know what it's like to feel that urge, I've done plenty of bashing in my story, but I want this to take a more realistic approach to writing. Don't make any gross exaggerations of a character's personal flaw. For example, Sasuke, do not make him a complete emo brooding bastard that feels he is entitled to the world and everything in it just because he is an Uchiha. Let's be honest, in the canon universe, Sasuke isn't self centered like that, nor is he spoiled like that. He wasn't handed anything, he got to where he was because he trained hard all day everyday. When Naruto lazed about on his ass and did nothing but complain about not learning any cool jutsu, Sasuke trained. When Sakura dieted to maintain her girlish figure and only trained when Kakashi made her, Sasuke trained. He worked hard, and while I personally hate what he's become in the recent mangas with his whole 'show the world my hatred' thing, he hasn't fallen that far here.**

**4. AU differences:**

** 1. I am sure you have all noticed that this story is slightly AU. For starters, all characters within this story are four years older than their canonical counterparts. This means that Naruto and the Rookie Nine are sixteen years old instead of twelve. **

** 2. Also, Naruto himself has a different physical appearance. Instead of having his father's yellow hair and blue eyes, he has his mothers hair color and purple eyes. Think of Naruto as looking like an identical copy to his dad, but with red hair and purple eyes.**

** 3. Another big change is the AU to the Tenchi Universe. In Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi's grandfather Katsuhito Masaki, or Yosho as he is known on Jurai, is dead. He died of lingering chakra poisoning from the Kyuubi no Yoko when he fought against it in single combat while Minato fought against Tobi to wrest control of the Kyuubi. Because of that he was considered a hero every bit as great as Minato, but due to the fact that he could not use his ship, Fuhano, to battle against Kurama, he suffered from intense chakra poisoning, and it was only his Juraian blood that let him live as long as he had. This is one of the larger changes as in the anime, Yosho was the one who revealed a lot of the plot. In this story, I made it so that the letters Yosho left Naruto can reveal parts of the plot, but you must come up with the rest. **

** 4. Another thing you should consider is that Fuhano, despite the death of Yosho, is still alive, but is nearing death. You must come up with a feasible way of explaining this phenomena when Ayeka discovers the tree and realizes that it has yet to pass on with the person who was bound to it. **

** 5. And finally, the biggest change to the story. Naruto. I am sure that all of you noticed that Naruto, while not so different in personality to his canon counterpart, is still fairly different. He's smarter, more motivated to be a good ninja, actually willing to train and study, and a lot calmer than his canon self is. The reason for this is because of Yosho. In the canon, Naruto had no one growing up. He was alone, on top of that he was hated, and that affected his growth greatly. It stunted him to the point where he became an idiot who pulled pranks to get attention. In this story, Naruto had a grandfather to help guide and train him for the first twelve years of his life. He doesn't need to seek attention through pranks or acting stupid, because even if the people of Konoha hate his guts, he knows that his grandfather loved him and he so wants to make his deceased grandfather proud by being the best he person and ninja he can be. I believe I mentioned it before, but Naruto is tied with Sasuke for Rookie of the Year in this. Now, this does not mean that Naruto is going to be this super ninja capable of kicking ass straight from the get go. Naruto is strong, but only about as strong as Sasuke is. Against someone of say, Zabuza's caliber, he would lose hands down, and that's nothing when compared to how badly he would get his ass kicked by someone like Orochimaru, Itachi, or heaven forbid Nagato. Naruto's growth must be realistic.**

**Now, in order to help you understand what I mean when I talk about Naruto's strength, I have made a standard stats list of some of the characters down below so you can compare strengths.**

**Naruto Uzumaki:**

**Ninjutsu: 2.5  
>Kendo: 2.5<br>Genjutsu: 1  
>Intelligence: 1.5<br>Strength: 3  
>Speed: 2<br>Stamina: 4  
>Hand-Seals: 3<strong>

**Total Score: 19.5**

**Sasuke Uchiha:**

**Ninjutsu: 2.5  
>Taijutsu: 2.5<br>Genjutsu: 1.5  
>Intelligence: 2<br>Strength: 2  
>Speed: 3<br>Stamina: 2  
>Hand-Seals: 3<strong>

**Total Score: 18.5**

**Kakashi Hatake:**

**Ninjutsu: 5  
>Taijutsu: 4<br>Genjutsu: 4  
>Intelligence: 4.5<br>Strength: 3.5  
>Speed: 4<br>Stamina: 3  
>Hand-Seals: 5<strong>

**Total Score: 33**

**The first thing I want you all to notice is that Naruto's stats don't have taijutsu in them. This is because in this story, Naruto is first and foremost a swordsman. He doesn't use taijutsu and therefore rather than taijutsu I have his close combat style listed as Kendo. I used kendo because Naruto was taught the Juraian sword style by his grandfather, which is more heavily based off of a Samurai's sword style than a ninja's.**

**The second thing I want you all to notice is that Naruto's stats are nearly equal with Sasuke's. He ain't a complete BAMF yet, he is reasonably skilled for someone his age, but a Jonin would kill him easily. **

**Now, this does not mean Naruto can't have his moments. As this story is not only based upon the Narutoverse, but also the Tenchi Muyo Universe, Naruto should be capable of superhuman feats on occasion. In Tenchi Muyo, the main character, Tenchi, is actually the most powerful character in the anime. A lot of Naruto's own skills will be based around the abilities that Tenchi possesses in Tenchi Muyo, combined with whatever ninjutsu you as the writer decide to give him. Also, because Naruto is a ninja and therefore trained specifically for combat, he will have better control of his powers once he DOES come into possession of them. A good example will be his Light Hawk Wings. Like Tenchi, Naruto will be capable of producing his own Light Hawk Wings despite not being bonded to a Juraian tree, as well as being able to convert pure energy, aka chakra, into matter, aka transforming his chakra into an actual sword. Unlike Tenchi, once Naruto first realizes this power, he will be able to call upon it at will and explore what he can do. In essence, he won't be haphazardly going through life without a clue on how his powers work. He will grow strong, and you can eventually make him very powerful, but not for a long, long, long, LONG, SUPER LONG time. His growth must be realistic.**

**Now, I have given all my requirements and explanations. I hope that none of you will be put out by this, but I wanted to set a reasonable amount of limiters to keep people who were hoping to make a 'Naruto powns all' story from taking up this challenge. I also wanted to keep those bad writers who have horrible grammar and don't actually put any effort into improving away. For those of who believe they have what it takes to write this story and write it well, I wish you the best.**

**Good luck.**

**And as always, Pokemaster12 out.**


	8. Naruto and FateStay Night

**Naruto/Fate Stay Night Challenge**

**The Eighth Class**

Now then, because I know next to nothing about Fate Stay/Night except for what I've read on Wikipedia and knowledge gained second hand, I unfortunately cannot write a chapter for this challenge, thus I will leave all the writing up to you guys.

The challenge is this, during the ritual designed to summon a servant, Rin Tohsaka does not use her jewel as the catalyst during the summoning, and instead uses a tri-pronged kunai with a shiki written on it that she found in an antique store after sensing the mana 'read, Senjutsu chakra' it possessed. Due to this, instead of summoning Counter Force Guardian EMIYA, she summons Naruto Uzumaki, thereby changing the entire course of the Fifth Holy Grail War.

As the title of the challenge states, Naruto is not of the seven classes for a heroic spirit, but a class of his own. I will leave you to determine his class as well as his stats HOWEVER, know that whatever stats you decide to give him, you cannot make him godlike. His power must be reasonable. He can be powerful, but he can't be overpowered.

Due to the fact that Archer is not in this, much of the Fate canon needs to be different. Certain things can be the same as one of the however-many scenarios Fate Stay/Night has, but anything to do with the Shiro/EMIYA storyline is now gone, and must be changed accordingly. This means that Shiro's skills and abilities, even if they are the same as canon, will develop differently than they had in the visual novel.

There are two important pairings in this. Naruto must be paired with Rin. I will allow you to add one other female to this pairing should you so desire, making it Naruto/Rin/?, but Rin must be paired with Naruto. Likewise, Shiro must be paired with Sakura, who conversely cannot be paired with Naruto. Like Naruto Shiro can have one other female, but only Saber, making it Shiro/Sakura/Saber, as I really can't see him being paired with anyone else. Note that the other female paired with Naruto and Rin CAN be Saber if you want it to be.

Chapters can be however long you want them to be so long as they do not go below the 4,000 word range. I personally do not know how anyone can write such ridiculously short chapters as anything below that might as well be a chapter summery instead of a chapter in and of itself.

I've read quite a few stories where Naruto summons Saber during the Mizuki incident, but I've never seen a story where Naruto was the one being summoned. I truly hope that one of you decides to take up this challenge, as I look forward to seeing what someone can make of it.

Chao.


	9. Naruto and Vandread

**A Fox among Pirates**

**A Naruto/Vandread Challenge**

* * *

><p>In the words of Naruto Uzumaki, Taraak was the most inhospitable ball of waste and ruin he had ever seen. The planet itself was nothing more than a large ball of rock. The air was smoggy and disgusting, pervading his nostrils and making him want to gag nearly every time he took a breath. But most importantly of all, the entire planet was one big sausage fest.<p>

That's right, Taraak was a world composed entirely of men. There were no woman here, not one single female presence on the entire planet. Naruto wasn't really sure why that was, due in large part to the propaganda that had been spread by the planet's leaders. It was all fiction and no fact. Whatever the case was, it did not change the fact that the planet did not have a single female on it.

Now, while Naruto did not consider himself a pervert in any way, shape or form – he just had an appreciate for the female figure – he was very sure that if he did not find an attractive female to hit on soon, he would go mad.

Thankfully, he had a plan for getting off this ball of waste, one that he would be executing tonight if all went well.

_'How long have we been stuck here, Kurama?'_

A presence deep within his mind rumbled a bit, it's grisly, baritone voice sounding thoughtful. _**'About one year and two months.'**_

_'Ugh, a year. That's way too long for me to be stuck here, and without anyway to get home or any female companionship to keep me company.'_

_**'You know, for someone who claims they are not a pervert, you speak about female ningen quite often.'**_

_'Yeah well, try living on this sausage fest of a planet as a human and I'm sure you'll end up thinking the same thing.'_

_**'Hmmm... At least we are leaving tonight, yes? Perhaps we'll be able to find our home planet.'**_

_'Maybe,'_ Naruto frowned. _'At least, we will if our home planet is even in this dimension.'_

_**'Do you honestly believe we were sent here from another dimension?'**_

_'It's just as likely as us getting flung through the far reaches of space,' _Naruto countered. _'Considering neither of us have any idea how we got here, we can't discount any theory out of hand.'_

_**'Hmph, I think you've been reading too many manga, kid.'**_

_'Whatever.'_

"Naruto, hey Naruto."

Upon hearing his name being called, Naruto looked up and had to suppress a grimace as he saw one of his coworkers for the factory he worked in standing in front of him. He plastered a smile that was so fake anyone well versed enough in observation would be able to tell. Fortunately this man was not, thus the look went unnoticed.

"Yes? Can I help you with something?"

"Ah, I was just wondering if..." the man's cheeks became flushed, and Naruto had to resist the urge to groan. "You wanted to be my partner. I was planning on having a kid you see and..."

"Sorry," Naruto said, interrupting the man. He smiled, but that was only to hide the way his right eye began twitching. "You're a nice guy, but I promised myself I would only have a child when I..." his left eye began twitching, but he hid it well. "Find... Mr. Right." Ugh, he felt so sick.

"Yeah, I thought you would say that," the man sighed. "Well, can't blame a guy for trying."

Naruto smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone nice who will want to help create a child with you."

"You're right. Thanks Naruto."

As the man walked off, Naruto tried very hard not to vomit. _'Dear fucking god, why do people keep asking me to have a kid with them? You would think after I turned down the first sixty two attempts they would have realized that I'm not interested.'_

_**'You humans and your strange mating rituals. Watching you ningen trying to find a mate never ceases to amuse me.'**_

This time Naruto couldn't contain the eye twitching. _'Do not ever speak of mating rituals in the same vein as what these men are suggesting. Just the thought of being intimate with another dude is enough to make me sick.'_

**_'Yes, I remember the first time someone here asked you to produce a child with them,'_ **Kurama's voice became amused. **_'As I recall you threw up on his clothes.'_**

_'He's lucky that's all that happened.'_ Naruto very nearly scowled, and only the fact that it would look weird for him to be scowling at nothing kept him from doing so. _'Honestly, what the hell is wrong with these people?'_

_**'Why are you asking me? I'm just a mass of chakra with a conscience.'**_

_'Ugh, that was rhetorical, Kurama.'_

XoX

Naruto grinned as he finished getting dressed in the small room that he had lived in during his tenure on this horrid planet. The room was small, only large enough to contain a bed, a bathroom, and a desk. It was, surprisingly enough, meticulously clean. The bed was made with sharp creases and was straight enough to bounce a coin on it, there wasn't a speck of dust in sight, and every item there seemed to have a space specifically allotted to it. Anyone who had known Naruto when he was a child would have been shocked by how clean it was. He would have to thank Koyuki and Shion for traini – ahem – teaching him about the benefits of having a clean room. That is, if he ever saw them again.

Sighing, Naruto realized that he was not only getting off track, but that his thoughts were leading him into dangerous territory. He could allow himself to get depressed at a time like this. There were things to be done.

Wanting to make sure he had everything he wanted to take when he got off this rock, he looked around the room. Aside from the bed, desk, and a few items some of the men on Taraak had given him in an attempt to woo him – shudder – there was nothing. All of his items were sealed up into scrolls, which he was now carrying on his persons.

He looked down at his clothing, black cargo pants, burnt orange long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of sturdy black boots. He had a kunai pouch tied to his right hip, which contained many of his scrolls. His outfit was finished by the two articles of clothing that meant the world to him, his Konoha headband, which he had tied around his left bicep, and the haori that Ma had made for him when he became a sage. The haori was dark red in color except for the bottom, which had black flame-like pattern licking at the hem. It was longer than your average haori, instead of stopping at mid thigh like most, it went all the way down to his ankles. Despite not all of his clothing being what he had originally when back in the Elemental Nations, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

_**'So, tonight we leave this planet?'**_

_'Yep,' _Naruto smoothed the non-existant wrinkles in his haori as he spoke to his best friend and partner. _'Tonight we sneak into that ship they've been building, hide ourselves in a vanguard, and when during the launching ceremony, we'll sneak out when they're all distracted.'_

XoX

"We will destroy the vile women of Mejere!"

Naruto shook his head as he listened to the opening speech for the launching ceremony. Looking at the large screen, he saw a man with a shiny, bald held, a sharp mustache, and wearing brown military clothing. Said man, who Naruto had decided to call baldy, was standing in what looked like some kind of sentai pose, hands clenched into fists and elbows tucked into his torso as he glared at nothing. He looked ridiculous.

_'Honestly, with idiots like that it's no wonder the people of this planet hate women so much.'_

With a chakra enhanced leap, Naruto landed on one of the many pipes that littered the skies of the city. He alighted onto it and crouched down without a sound, hands splayed out in front of him as he looked around.

"And the strength of men will triumph!"

Down below him were thousands of men, all of them standing in front of a platform where baldy was giving his speech. They seemed so enraptured by what the idiot was telling them. It made Naruto sick. How anyone could allow themselves to be brainwashed like this was beyond him.

Ah well, it wasn't his problem if these people wanted to be a bunch of cock loving idiots. He wasn't going to be here for much longer anyways.

Looking around for a good spot to ascend higher. He ignored the rest of baldy's speech as he began making several chakra enhanced leaps, jumping to pipes and platforms and girders as he continued making his way towards the top of the building where the ship containing the dreads was stashed.

He could see the large ship, it was so big that they had to cut away the ceiling to hold it.

It looked ridiculous in his opinion. The ship looked like a sharp brick, it was square, and unimaginative, and painted in an ugly brown color. Honestly, these men of Taraak had no flare. Didn't they know that if they wanted to make something awe inspiring they should at least paint it orange?

Shaking his head in pity, Naruto jumped into a corridor of steel pipes and girders. He made his way along the pipes, running past one of the large screens that showed baldy giving his speech. It was as he made it to the door that would grant him access to the ship that he ran into his first real problem.

Well, not a problem exactly, just something he had not expected. There was a kid, perhaps a year younger than him, with blue hair covered in the head wrap that most third generation citizens wore and brown eyes. He was wearing a pair of brown pants, a black undershirt and an orange jacket over it. While he had to give the kid props on his clothing, that didn't change the fact that this kid could quite possibly ruin his chances of getting into the ship. He would have to be taken care of.

Moving forward with all the stealth his shinobi talents afforded him, Naruto stopped when he was directly behind the kid and peered over the blue haired teens shoulders. It looked like he was using some kind of device to unlock the door.

Figuring it was better than his plan to cut the door open with wind chakra, Naruto waited until the door was unlocked to make his move. When he did, it was quick, and the younger male didn't even know what had hit him. A simple chop to the neck rendered the blue haired teen unconscious, and Naruto followed that by tying him up tightly in ninja wire so he wouldn't escape when he came to.

"Sorry kid," Naruto said as he walked past the now sleeping teen. "I don't know what you're reasons are, but I can't let an amateur like you ruin my chances of getting off this ball of waste you call a planet."

XoX

_**'This ship is pretty large.'**_

Kurama's comment earned a snort from Naruto as he raced down one of the many hallways that connected the various rooms of the Ikazuchi together. Despite the floors being made of steel and his boots being quite sturdy, he made nary a sound as he ran down the corridor, coming a T-junction at the end where he took a left.

_'Understatement of the century, Kurama,'_ Naruto said with an eye roll. _'I wonder why they needed to build such a large ship in the first place. Then again, from what baldy said this ship is actually the ship that took them to this planet, so I guess it was used to carry a lot of people.'_

Naruto followed along the path laid about before him, moving through sharp angled corridors of steel. He traveled through the many twists and turns, before coming to the door that, according to the maps he had stolen when planning his escape from this planet, held the Vanguards.

It was a very basic looking door, old and worn and incredibly ugly. Beside it was a palm print scanner that would unlock the door.

Naruto frowned, looking from the door to the palm print scanner. His original plan was to just slice the door open with wind chakra, but that boy who had unlocked the other door had given him an idea. It would be incredibly foolish to slice open a door and have people realize there was an intruder in the ship before he had a chance to escape.

Shrugging, Naruto placed his palm on the scanner where the outline of a hand print was. For added measure he channeled his chakra through his hand and into the scanner. He honestly wasn't sure he expected it to work, which was why he became surprise when the scanner 'pinged' and the door slid open.

"Huh," Naruto mumbled under his breath. "What do you know, chakra works with everything."

_**'I do not think it was your chakra that opened the door, Naruto.'**_

_'Oh?' _Naruto raised an eyebrow as he walked into the darkened room. He looked around, his enhanced eyesight easily picking out the large mecha humanoid robots that were the Vanguards. Naruto thought they looked a little ridiculous, with the proportions of their heads, chest, and crotches uncharacteristically large, but figured it was a Taraakian thing. _'Then what, pray tell, do you think caused the door to open?'_

_**'Who knows?'**_The kitsune answered, and Naruto got the feeling it was shrugging. _**'But chakra doesn't affect machines unless they are specifically designed to do so. We are not in the Elemental Nations anymore, no one on this planet even knows how to use chakra, so I doubt that was the case.'**_

_'Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. We're getting off this rock in either event, so let's focus on that.'_

_**'Agreed.'**_

Looking around as he walked further and further down the isle of giant human-like machines, Naruto tried to decide which one he wanted. He wasn't sure what they were looking for. All of the Vanguards looked the same. As he continued his search, his head tilted up towards the mechs so he could see more of them, and that was when he saw it.

It was just a small symbol scratched out along the underside of the robots crotch. Naruto snickered a bit, before deciding this was the mech he would sneak into.

He quickly hopped onto the platform, then used the tree climbing exercise to walk up the mech's leg until he reached the opening for the cockpit. He frowned for a moment, before realizing he had no idea how to open the hatch.

"Ugh," Naruto groaned. "Maybe I didn't think this through as well as I thought."

Just then the sound of loud explosions was accompanied by the ship rumbling to life. Naruto experienced a brief sense of vertigo, before gravity began pushing down on him. Realizing what that likely meant, the whiskered Uzumaki rushed over to a window and looked out to see the city the ship had been docked in slowly growing smaller.

"The launching ceremony must have finished then," Naruto sighed, then turned back to look at the Vanguard he had been trying to get into. "Looks like I'd better find a way to open you before anyone comes in and sees me."

With that thought in mind, Naruto got back to work.

XoX

Duelo McFile watched all of the other soldiers as he idly sipped his drink. The room he was in was filled with people he supposed were compatriots, though he did not really feel as such. None of these people were close to him, and he liked to keep it that way so he could remain independent and think about the many mysteries of the galaxy and things he had yet to learn.

"I assume you'll be assigned to headquarters, right Duelo?" one of the men who had decided to crowd around him asked. As always, he remained stoic and silent, merely bringing the glass filled with some type of red beverage to his mouth. Not like his silence mattered, one of the other members around him spoke for him.

"With a record like yours, you can do whatever you want."

"I heard that he submitted his assignment request forms completely blank."

Duelo almost smiled as the others gasped, but kept his cool demeanor. What the man said was true, he had submitted a blank request form. It was much easier to get the job he wanted that way. As one of Taraak's elite, he had the choice selection of any job he wanted, so he left his submission form blank in order to make sure he was not tied down to a single job.

"Hey there, is everyone having a good time."

Any possibility for continued conversation was halted when a fair skinned man with blond hair and blue eyes walked up to them. He was wearing the standard khaki colored uniform of a Taraakian soldier, and unlike most of the other soldiers, he was wearing a cadet cap on his head. He was also holding a box filled with small pills out to them.

Food pills, Duelo recognized. That was the name of the food served on Taraak. They didn't taste very good, but then, Duelo had never tried anything else, so it wasn't like he had much of an opinion on the matter.

"This is a sample of our companies new product. It's our own unique formula special nutrition tablets."

Ah, it looked like the man was trying to advertise a product. How droll. The man in question leaned in and cupped a hand to his mouth, as if sharing some great secret with them.

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this," he whispered in what Duelo assumed the man thought was a devious voice. "But the quality of ingredients is far superior to other pellets." Holding out the box he spoke in a much louder voice. "I'll let you have a free taste if you'd like."

"Ah, thanks a lot, but no thanks."

"I'm sorry but I'm pretty full right now."

"Really? That's quite a shame," the man said, as if shrugging off the thought that they didn't want to try his food was as simple as shrugging off water. "You may never get a chance to eat this good again. Hey there, you two look like gentlemen of distinction..." and off the man went to try and sell his product to another pair of men passing by.

"Who is that guy?"

"His name is Bart Garsus. His father owns Garsus foods. Let's just say his companies keeping us all fed and not go any further than that."

"I think they're giving us a taste of heart burn."

Duelo listened to the conversation idly, not really paying much attention. He had heard of Garsus foods of course, the largest food pill company on Taraak. They were the ones who provided around seventy-five percent of the planets food to the population, and had a few brands of food pills that were said to be of higher quality and were sold to the elite first citizens of Taraak. Duelo had tried many of the different food pills, and honestly couldn't taste a difference.

Just than the lights shut off, bringing all conversation to a halt.

"Gentlement, please direct your attention to the large screen."

Duelo looked up to see the screen in question going through a countdown. When it ended, the caption changed to show the Vanguards and the various weapons they used.

"Pierce, stab, and slay. With these all purpose accessories the Tsukumo fighter in and of itself."

The screen changed to show a battlefield, where a Vanguard was walking in a strong man pose. The Vanguard got hit with a rocket, which exploded against it's chest plate. Yet all that happened was the machine got slightly dented.

"It is ready to slam down the fists of justice upon our enemies."

This time the scene shifted to show one of the Vanguards slicing a brutish looking creature that Duelo could only assume was a woman with a sword. Soon, the one Vanguard was joined by several others in various poses. Some were pointing guns at the screen, others were flexing their arms, and still others were giving a fist pump. Duelo thought the whole showing was a bit overdone.

"It is the soldier at the front lines of our empire, be it the skies, the seas, the planes, the mountains! There is no terrain that the pride of the empire cannot brave! The brand new Tsukumo version Vanguard fighter. A new day in Taraak will be dawning right before our very eyes."

The showing ended with a Vanguard carrying a large assortment of weaponry getting shown in the background, while men of various ages were crying and cheering on the screen.

There were also men crying and cheering as they watched the showing of their latest weapons to combat the women. Duelo was not among those doing so. He wasn't really a fighter to begin with, and would much rather study life's mysteries then fight against women.

"How about a big round of applause, for our new Tsukumo version Van-type fighters!"

The screen was pulled up into an access panel on the ceiling, while the wall behind it began moving apart like a set of doors. Behind that was a large gate that also moved up, and further behind that was an isle of the very Vanguards that had just been shown on the screen. The lights turned on, the platforms the Vanguards were on spun to give the soldiers a frontal view of the newest weapons they would be using, and the cheering screeched to a halt when everyone realized that there was someone sitting on one of the Vanguards with a thoughtful frown on his face.

Duelo raised an eyebrow when he saw the man. He was sitting cross-legged on top of the Vanguard, one hand rest on his leg and the other being used as a head rest. The man in question had the brightest shade of blond hair he had ever seen, arrayed in a messy bed of spikes. Blue eyes were set upon a tan face that had three whisker-like marks running along his cheeks. Duelo didn't know what kind of clothing the man was wearing, having never seen anything like them before, but the jacket looked to be very high-class, making him wonder if the blond was a first class citizen.

"Who the hell are you!?"

At the shouted question coming from the speakers, the blond male looked around and seemed to only just notice that he was no longer alone. He eyed the assembly for a second, before a grin crossed his face. Standing up, he said, "I'm glad you asked. Allow me to introduce myself! I am the man who has walked a thousand battlefields. A man so powerful I make all other men quake in fear, and so sexy no women can withstand my charms! I am he who has earned the title of sage! The one, the only Naruto Uzumaki!"

As the blond now calling himself Naruto ended his introduction by hopping around on one foot with his left hand held in front of him and his right behind him, strange kabuki music began playing in the background, and a number of Sakura petals began falling around him.

Duelo raised his other eyebrow as he listened to Naruto's introduction and watched his strange dance. Several questions came to his mind, mainly those that wondered what a sage was. However, the other was about his mention of women. The way he mentioned women made Duelo wonder if perhaps this man knew more about the female race than other men. He had always known that Taraak's propoganda was likely untrue, or at least a half truth. It made him want to question this Naruto on what he knew in order to help facilitate his own learning.

Unfortunately, no one else was as interested in learning about this Naruto character as he was.

"What are all of you doing standing around!? Get that boy!"

With the orders given, several soldiers ran towards the mecha the blond was on. Naruto grinned as his eyes landed on the first soldier to reach his Vanguard.

"Banzai!"

Jumping down from the Vanguard, Naruto planted the heels of his feet into the man's face. Ignoring the loud 'crunching' sound of a nose breaking under his boot, Naruto propelled himself off the man's face and into the air. Spinning like an top, he moved through the air and towards his next opponent. The poor fool had no chance as the blond stuck out a leg that cracked him across the head and knocked him into blissful unconsciousness.

The last man who had rushed in without thinking was similarly knocked out of the battle when Naruto rushed forward and delivered a double palm strike to the chest. The soldier's eyes widened, and the loud 'woosh!' sound of air being expelled from a set of lungs could be heard by everyone as the soldier went flying backwards and hit the floor with a meaty thud.

Duelo was quite impressed by the young man's abilities. He couldn't be older than seventeen years of age, and yet he was handling men twice his age that had been trained for years without even breaking a sweet. Whoever this guy was, he was very skilled in combat.

After getting over their shock at seeing him so handily deal with two of the soldiers in less than a second, several more men swarmed towards him. Naruto grinned as he reached into his pouch pocket, and pulled out three small black balls.

"I want you all to remember this as the day that you almost caught, the great Naruto Uzumaki!"

With that, Naruto tossed the balls into the ground, which exploded upon contact and released a thick cloud of block smoke. The soldiers that had rushed up to catch Naruto became immediately engulfed in the thick smog and started coughing.

"Where did all this smoke come from!?"

"I can't see! I can't see!"

"Wh-What's going on here!?"

The smoke soon cleared, and Duelo's only visible eye narrowed when he saw Naruto had disappeared.

"What an interesting character," was all he could say as orders to search for the intruder were shouted out from the commanding officer of Taraak's forces. It looked like things had just gotten interesting.

XoX

"All hands! We have an intruder on board! Commence search! I want that intruder found! Use any means necessary!"

"Hehehe," Naruto chuckled to himself as he listened to the announcement coming over the speaker system. "I may have been caught before I could access that Vanguard, but this made it all worth it. It's been far too long since I've been able to pull a prank of any kind."

_**'I have to admit it's amusing watching these ningen run around like a bunch of headless chickens. Though we now have a problem. You still need to get to a Vanguard if you want to escape.'**_

_'Don't worry too much. If worst comes to worst, I'll capture one of the soldiers searching for me and interrogate them about how to open the Vanguard cockpit.'_

Kurama remained silent, and Naruto shrugged after a few seconds. He continued walking down the tiny maintenance hall he had found. It wasn't really meant for travel, but for the mechanics to affect repairs in case something broke down, thus it was the perfect place to travel about the ship and remain inconspicuous as far as Naruto was concerned.

He remained in the hall, traveling until he was far enough away from the Vanguard hanger bay that it was unlikely there would be too many guards. Crouching down, Naruto searched the floor until he found an access hatch that would lead to the room below. After prying it open, and peeking inside to make sure no one was there, the blond Uzumaki allowed himself to drop to the ground, landing in a slight crouch.

The area he ended up in looked like some kind of storage room. There were several cells that were blocked off by light green beams of light, Naruto knew from experience those energy beams couldn't be bypassed by regular beams. Inside of the cells were boxes made of both cardboard and metal stacked on top of each other half-hazardly. After his initial survey of the area, he nodded.

"This place will do for now," he said to himself. Naruto was about to sit down when the strangest little robot he had ever seen floated over to him. It was shaped like an egg, well, three-fourths of an egg. There was a cut out on the top half that showed a monitor and keyboard. It was floating about six inches off the ground, and though it didn't have a face, Naruto couldn't help but feel that it was glaring at him.

"Intruder! Intruder! I've found the intruder!"

"What the he – woah!"

Naruto just barely dodged the yellow volt of energy that shot out from a tiny compartment in the robot.

"Oi! What's the big idea you stupid – Gah!"

Once more he was forced to dodge, weaving to the left as energy zapped the ground he had been standing on, leaving a smoking black mark. Naruto frowned as he decided on the best course of action. He could just destroy it of course. One good blow to the monitor is all it would take, and that said nothing about what would happen if he used the Rasengan on it. On the other hand, it wasn't the robots fault he had probably been programed to capture him. He would feel bad if he damaged it too much.

The situation was eventually taken out of his hands however, when a large explosion rocked the ship. The egg-bot, as Naruto decided to call it, soared past the blond who had channeled chakra to the bottom of his feet on instinct to keep himself from losing his balance. As the robot could not use chakra, and even if it could it was floating in the air and therefore had nothing to stick to, it flew past him and smacked into the energy beams from one of the holding cells.

"Well, that takes care of that," Naruto said to himself, before another explosion rocked the ship. "Now I just need to figure out what the hell is going on around here."

XoX

The answer to Naruto's wonderings about what the hell was causing all of the explosions would be obvious to any who had access to a viewport. Several ships that were much smaller than the the Ikazuchi were darting around the larger ship, colored beams of light flying from small canons on their front as they wove around the ship.

"Escort ship has been destroyed!"

Momoroshi's down too!"

"The Ikazuchi's loose sections have been breeched!"

Beams of light streaked through the darkness of space and struck against the sides of the large craft. Explosions rocked the ship as the tiny fighter crafts darted in and out of view. The spacecraft attacking the ship were fast, very fast. With such quick speed and their incredible maneuverability there was very little the Ikazuchi could do to destroy them. The fighter crafts were simply too fast for their targeting brackets to lock onto them, and without being able to get a clean lock, they wouldn't be able to hit them.

The man that Naruto had dubbed baldy glared at the fiery explosions that rocked the Ikazuchi on all sides.

"What deplorable tactics! They're hiding in the background!"

They were getting nowhere like this, as things stood the Ikazuchi was nothing but a sitting duck. They couldn't shoot the fighter crafts down because they were too fast. All they could do was sit there and get pummeled by laser fire. They might as well paint a large bulls eye on their hull for all the good it would do.

"Send out the Vanguards out!"

It was the only thing that could be done. They needed to take the fight to them.

The man behind him with the large mustache, eyebrows, and graying fringe of hair on his bald head didn't seem to agree.

"But most of them are just trainee's Minister!" The man shouted, as if he didn't know that. He was well aware that most of those men had only just gotten out of the academy. They had never even _seen_ a real battle much less been in one. They had no combat experience aside from simulations. There was simply no way they could truly defeat a force that quite obviously had a good deal of experience when it came to dog fights _and _had the element of surprise. But the fact of the matter was they had no other choice. They had to do something.

"If we lose this battle because we don't use our latest weapons, we'll bring shame upon our forefathers!"

XoX

The Minister soon found out that there was going to be a slight problem with getting the Vanguards out into space so they could do battle. That being that the docking platforms where many of the Vanguards were stationed were offline due to the damage they had sustained. It was a problem, they would not be able to use even half their forces at this rate.

Despite this, the ones that were available launched as soon as they were cleared. They shot out of the drop bays and found themselves in space, where they quickly engaged the enemy... by crashing into said enemy and banging on their metal frames. It wasn't the most elegant of attacks, and it truthfully didn't do much, but then, what else could they do?

"Hey, what are these things? Their getting in my way!" The source of the voice was wearing a purple helmet and suit that kept their face hidden from view. While it kept the face from being seen it did very little to hide the clearly feminine body. The fact that the voice was distinctly female only confirmed what a first glance would show.

"Don't worry about the Vanguards," spoke another pilot, this one wearing a blue space suit and helmet. "Concentrate on the enemy flagship."

"Roger!"

The small, agile fighters moved in closer, evading canon fire with barrel rolls and sharp turns. Their speed was such that none of the turrets aiming at them came even close to hitting them. It was more than likely that if one of them were to get shot down, it would be on accident rather than due to the skill of the enemies firing.

Coming upon what could only be the entrance into the ship, the pink fighter craft that had been in the lead of the squadron shot off an intense blast of laser fire that destroyed the large door with impunity. It and the other fighters were quick to follow, and soon they found themselves in the very same spacious hanger that Naruto had been caught trying to steel a Vanguard in.

Ceasing all movement, the fighter crafts docked on the flat surface, crushing the tables and chairs that were situated underneath from. The hatches of the fighters opened up and out came beings that could only be considered a nightmare, to men at least. Garbed in strange dark clothing and wearing the most unusual masks with glowing red, demonic eyes, these creatures, for in the minds of men that was all they could be, struck a horrendous image.

As the woman charged forward, intent on taking the fight to the enemy, one Bart Garsus found himself tumbling out bottom of the large statue he had been hiding in. He looked at the beings that were ignoring him with shock and fright as he sat there on his behind. His voice came out in a shrill pitch. "Ah! Those things are women!?"

Whether they were women or not soon became irrelevant to Bart as another one of the fighters, this one apparently in the controls of someone much less skilled than the others if how it kept crashing into the walls meant anything, came flying towards him. It looked like it would crash right into him and leave him as nothing more than a bloody smear on the ground.

"I don't wanna die!" With a girlish shout, Bart ran back into the statue just as the fighter flew past him. Consequently when the fighter flew past him it ran directly into the statue, slicing it's head off as if the object made of stone was nothing but air. His face pale, Bart stuck his head out of hole made by the fighter. One had to give him credit, even though he looked like he might pass out at any second he didn't. He simply began hyperventilating.

Hey, not everyone can have guts of steel like some people.

XoX

Naruto sighed as he found himself standing on a long platform with a rail on either side. He was in a large circular room with a large blue crystal of some kind in the center of it. He'd actually had to pause when he felt the crystal pulsing with chakra. It almost made the thing feel alive. Which was ridiculous of course, crystals couldn't be alive. Could they?

Ignoring the strange pulse of chakra emanating from the crystal sphere, Naruto couldn't keep the sigh that escaped his lips from doing so. "I think I'm lost," he commented to the tiny egg-bot he had in a hold under his arm. It didn't respond of course, but then, he didn't really expect it to. "Well, I wonder what I should do now."

_**'Getting out of here would be a good idea.'**_

_'That goes without saying,'_ Naruto replied to Kurama's sarcastic suggestion dryly. _'The only problem is I don't know which way to go.'_

_**'Whichever way you go you'd better go quickly. I sense a presence closing in on our location very fast.'**_

_'Really?'_ Naruto blinked. _'How come I don't sense –'_ he cut himself off mid-sentence, his eyes widening because he did sense a presence coming. It was coming in hot, and not just the fast kind. Looking towards the wall on his left Naruto only had a few seconds to realize his predicament when the entire structure exploded.

Great, and this day had been going so well too.

XoX

"You can't do this, Minister!" one of the Minister's underlings shouted, pleading with his commanding officer. It was a plead that wouldn't work, the Minister had already steeled himself in order to do what was necessary. Nothing would stop him now.

"We can't afford to let the entire ship be captured by our enemies." That was what he told himself. This was for the greater good. A panel opened up on his control console, and a push lever popped out of it. He grasped the lever firmly in his hand, eyes closed as he prepared himself to do what must be done. "I can at least save the new section of the Ikazuchi."

All around him his men were standing at attention. Many of them looked almost physically ill, as if the very thought of damaging their newly refurbished Ikazuchi was unthinkable. He knew how they felt. At the same time, he knew that this was something that had to be done.

"Before everything falls into the hands of females, I'll separate the old from the new!"

With that he pushed the lever forward. Explosions began rocking through the ship beneath them. Entire sections began falling apart, and the bridge, the only part of the old vessel that was obviously new, removed itself from the ship that the Minister had deemed a lost cause.

XoX

Naruto came to with a slight groan. He had a bit of a headache, and his body was a tad stiff, but he didn't seem to be suffering from any damage. It was times like these that he was very glad his body was so durable. Anyone else would have likely been killed by that explosion. Not him though. Naruto had survived a lot, and one measly explosion would never be enough to put him out of commission.

_**'And who do you have to thank for that?'**_

_'My parents for sticking you inside my gut,'_ Naruto replied cheekily. There was a snort from within his mind, and he could sense his tenant was both disgruntled and amused by his words. _'Thank you.'_

_**'Che, you're welcome brat. Now you should probably get up. I don't know what's going on, but even from here I can tell things aren't looking too good.'**_

_'Right, I just need to get this debris off me and...'_ he trailed off, blinking as his hand rested on the debris that was covering his face. It was soft, far too soft to be any kind of metal. It was also round, and squishy, and seemed to fit nicely with just a bit extra that flowed out of his hands.

_'This is a boob,'_ Naruto thought blankly. Kurama's amused chuckle filled his mind, but he ignored it in favor or opening his eyes. When he came face to face with a mask, he frowned.

"What the hell kind of mask is that?" he wondered out loud. It looked almost like those masks that the Kiri hunter-ninja used, the one he remembered Haku wearing. Except this one lacked the swirl pattern and, well, those eyes were just way to large to be a hunter mask. If he were honest, it sort of reminded him of a bug, except the eyes weren't multi-faceted.

Deciding to look at something else, his eyes traveled down the boob that was still in his hand. It was a very nice boob he had to admit. After a moment of admiring and squeezing the breast he was still cupping, a low moan came from the masked face and Naruto realized with a start that if there was a boob in his hand, then the person on top of him could only be a woman.

It took an almost concerted effort of will and reminding himself that this woman was likely injured from that explosion that kept him from jumping for joy. Instead he slowly sat up, being careful not to jostle his unconscious and possibly injured hanger on. When he was sitting and the female was safely secured in his lap with one arm around her waist, he used the other to carefully pull the mask off her face.

Of course it just had to be at that moment that the female chose to wake up. Naruto jumped back in shock when the woman jerked around, mask still on her head as he had not gotten a chance to pull it off. The masked face swiveled to him and took good look, before an excited squeal erupted from the person, definitely female, that was staring at him.

"Oh wow! A real live alien!"

Naruto's right eye began to twitch.

_'She can't be serious can she? An alien? Do I look like an alien?'_

_**'I don't know, you do look a bit odd compared to most people. What with that damnable blind-your-eyes golden hair and those stupid whisker marks on your face.'**_

_'Oi! Don't dis the whiskers!'_ Naruto felt like scowling. _'And you have whiskers to, you jerk!'_ Kurama's chuckles within his mind served to further irritate him, and his left eye soon began to join the right in it's twitching. All that annoyance left when the woman in front of him pulled the mask off her face.

Naruto suddenly found his breath hitching in his throat as he gazed upon what had to be the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Long red hair much like his mother's framed a face the just screamed naïve and innocent. Big, baby blue eyes were staring at him in excitement, Naruto could almost swear they were sparkling. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Granted, Naruto would admit that a part of it was because he was finally gazing upon the fairer sex after having to deal with men for over a year. But even if that were not the case there was no denying this girl was a cutie beyond compare.

And then the girl in question leaned forward slightly and began making waving at him and making strange noises as if he was some kind of child. His eyes began twitching again.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice deadpanned. The girl didn't even seem to register his annoyance. Indeed, the moment he spoke she was squealing in delight.

"I can't believe it. An alien that can talk and understand me!" She clasped her hands together in front of her face, her smile blinding in it's brilliance. "I made first contact!"

Naruto sighed. The first female he finds in over a year is apparently some kind of alien fanatic and thought he was an alien as well. Great, just great.

Well, there was nothing to it. Everyone had their quirks he supposed, and he would be remiss to turn down the pleasure of having such a cute girl in his company because of that. That being said, he still needed to get out of here.

Getting over his depression quickly Naruto stood up and began dusting himself off. The girl that had been congratulating herself on meeting her first alien stopped praising herself to look up at him.

"Well," Naruto started, looking down at the girl for a moment, before holding out his hand. "I'm not exactly sure how you got here, but I can't just leave you here all by yourself." Dita looked up at him for several seconds, her eyes trailing from his face to his hands. After watching this Naruto sighed.

"Come on, we should probably try to find a way out of here, and it's always better to travel in pairs than it is alone." And his desire to travel with this strange but cute red head had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he was feeling a need to be in the presence of a hot female. Really.

"Oh, right," the girl seemed to snap out of her daze and quickly grabbed his hand. She seemed to flush a bit as she pulled herself up. She then beamed a smile at him that had Naruto smiling as well. "Thank you very much, Mr. Alien."

And then Naruto went back to the eye twitching.

XoX

"Don't move!"

"Stay right where you are. We'll shoot if you try anything funny."

Duelo put his hands up along with the other soldiers as the women pointed strange and sleek looking weapons at them. This was a curious position to find himself in. unlike the other Duelo was not afraid of the females around him, but rather intrigued. This was the first time he had seen one up close. As he watched them take off those strange masks they were wearing, he took note of the fact that they looked nothing like the propaganda movie he had watched a while ago.

"I know it's a disinfectant, but I don't think I'll ever get used to this smell," said one of the females. Her long blond hair traveled in a large wave down her back. It was very shiny and clean, nothing at all like most men's hair, Duelo observed. The woman in question also had blue eyes, was much thinner around the waste than a man, but also had wider hips and a large bust. Oddly enough, her figure reminded him of an hour glass.

The blue haired one with the white one piece suit with armored shoulder pauldrons ignored the blond one as she looked around the room. "Where did Dita go?" she asked, her green eyes turning towards the others in her company.

"The last I saw of her she was blasting her way through the hall," spoke a girl with dark green hair in a hima-style cut. She was wearing glossy purple leggings that stretched across toned calves and thighs, and had a corset that showed off her cleavage in a darker purple that was attached to a set puffing sleeves, which were in turn attached to the same light glossy purple cloth only it covered the entirety of her arms. "and that was a – ow! That really hurt, paiway. My skins really delicate I'll have you know."

At that, Duelo took careful note that the purple glove was not covering her other arm, which was off to reveal smooth looking skin. At the moment she was being tended to by a younger looking female who couldn't be older than eleven or twelve. The young girl was wrapping a bandage around the older female, who was bleeding slightly from a cut.

"Just try to tolerate it," the one called Paiway said.

"You could stand to be a little more sensitive."

"I am sensitive."

Duelo stopped as he listened to the two bickering a bit.

"Hey, keep moving!"

Duelo ignored the woman and calmly walked over to one of the lockers, ignoring the clicking sound of weapons being trained on him as he pulled out a lab coat and put it on.

"Hey, I thought I told you to keep moving." When Duelo continued to ignoring her, the woman frowned and gestured at him with her weapon. "Get into the capsule now."

"There's time enough for that later," Duelo commented absently as he adjusted his coat. The woman did not take too kindly to his words, nonthreatening as they were.

"Hey, you'd better listen to me," she said, angry that he was apparently ignoring her. He wasn't, he just couldn't let himself leave yet. "Get into the capsule or I'll shoot."

"I'm no threat to you," Duelo said, his tone just as calm as his posture suggested. He turned to look at them and gave the woman pointing the gun at him, and the others in the room a confident smile. "I happen to be a doctor."

"Eh?"

XoX

"I was sort of looking forward to this because they said it was going to be big, but it's all junk." Jura sighed as she leaned against one of the downed Vanguards that never got off the ground. With her hands behind her head thrusting her chest further out than usual, she was the picture of casual sex appeal. It was too bad Naruto was not here to see her.

"Jura."

Upon hearing her name being called, Jura looked over at Meia to see said bluenette crouching down near a tear in the interior of the ship. She couldn't see past the tear, it was far too dark, but if the looks her leader was giving it were any indication, she would be keeping to see what was on the other side up close very soon.

"I'm going to go look for Dita. Let's go together."

There you go.

"Oh brother," Jura released a deep breath. "That's why I didn't want to bring along a trainee." No offense to Dita or anything. It wasn't that she disliked the girl or anything, but she hadn't even completed her dread training. Asking her to pilot one of their dread fighters had just been asking for trouble, which is clearly what happened here.

"Listen Jura, we're short handed as it is," Meia turned to face her with a disgruntled look. "If you didn't want to be here, then you should have spoken up earlier."

"Ok, you don't have to tell," Jura placed her hands on her hips and pouted. "You want me to go, right?" At Meia's nod all she could do was sigh. Really, maybe she should have given coming on this mission more thought. To bad it was too late for her to turn back now. She would just have to follow her leader and search for the newbie.

XoX

While all this was going on three other women found themselves in the control room of the old section of the ship. They had been there for a while now, trying to determine what they could salvage now that the newest section had broken off. There didn't seem to be much, and with the language being written in men, only one of them could read it.

Buzam, or BC for short, was the sub commander of the female pirate crew and the only one among them who could read the language of men. She was a woman with a skin tone that was a touch darker than most of the others, had white hair, and steel gray eyes. Her chest was rather large, and was covered by a black sleeveless tube top that showed off her belly button and was covered in gold rings around her shoulders. The bottom half of her outfit could only be called belly dancers garb, it was a strange, almost skirt-like pair of pants that flared out the lower they got, before tucking into a pair of boots.

She was currently looking over the various monitors as information scrolled down the screens. As she stared at one screen in particular, which was giving her a list of all the equipment this dump of a ship had, a gasp from one of the other two females with her caught her attention.

"Oh my, there's a missile locked onto us!"

Buzam nearly broke military decorum and swore as she turned to look at a nerdy girl in glasses and braids, wearing an outfit that consisted of the dull pink coveralls of a technician. "Parfait, is there any way to move the ship?"

"I can't," the woman shrugged helplessly. "The engines are dead and I have no way of turning them on line." Well there went that line of hope. She had been hoping their resident genius might have been able to figure something out, but it looks like she had been wrong. Not that she could blame the girl. This ship was pretty substandard and wouldn't have lasted very long anyways. Still, now she needed to figure out something else.

Or ask someone else who might have a plan.

With that thought in mind she pressed the communicator in her hand to her ear. "What do we do?"

Static crackled in her ear before a voice broke out. _"Losing the ship would be a shame but... let's get out of here!"_

"Roger, do you copy that Meia?"

XoX

"I got it," Meia replied as she and Jura found themselves standing in what looked like the core of the ship. Her partner for the moment was leaning on the railing and looking down at the floor below. She paid the woman no mind for the moment and relayed her distressing information to the sub command. "But I lost Dita. I'll rendezvous with you as soon as I find her so go on ahead."

She waited until she got confirmation that her plan was acknowledged then hung up. She refused to release the frustrated sight that wanted to escape her. Nothing seemed to be going as planned anymore. Dita was missing, and now the men had fired some kind of missile at them. It seemed the old term 'no plan can survive contact with the enemy' that Magno sometimes espoused was true.

"Hey Meia," Jura said in an odd voice. Meia looked at the blond woman with an inquisitive eyebrow raised.

"What is it?"

"I found Dita."

The bluenette blinked. That was fast. Not that she was going to complain, because seriously, she had been expecting the search to take at least half an hour since this ship was so big. It looked like things were actually going to start looking up again.

"She's with a man."

"What!?"

Or maybe not.

XoX

"Hey Mr. Alien, can I take a picture of you?"

Naruto took in a deep breath, held it, then blew it out as he tried to keep his annoyance in check. He was beginning to regret letting this girl tag along with him. She was cute yeah, but he really didn't dig the nickname she had given him. That, and her seemingly airheadedness when they were in a dangerous situation was a bit bothering.

Kurama was not helping the situation any._** 'You know, this girl kind of reminds me of you.'**_

_'And just how does this girl remind you of me? I never had an alien fetish.'_

_**'No, but you've always been loud, obnoxious, and a bit of an airhead.'**_

_'Oi, I have not been...' _he trailed off as several of his less intelligent actions during his days as a Konoha shinobi flashed through his mind. '_Well...'_ he began again, working hard to keep the embarrassed blush off his face. _'Maybe I am a bit like her.'_

_**'Told you so.'**_

Naruto frowned, but decided to ignore Kurama's taunting in favor of the girl. She was much more pleasant to listen to anyways, even if she did talk enough to talk his ear off.

"First of all," Naruto started, his tone much calmer now. It would be hypocritical to be made at her when he had acted a lot like her at one point in his life. Besides, she was a girl, and cute, and a girl. That had to count for something. "My name's not Mr. Alien, it's Naruto. Second..." he paused, then slumped his shoulders a bit. "I'll let you take a picture, but only after we get out of this mess." The additive at the end made the girl pout, but he wasn't in the mood to get his picture taken when he had no clue what was going on.

"Ok..." the girl seemed a bit depressed that he wouldn't let her take his picture right now. She had already gotten her camera out and everything. Still, she perked up a bit knowing that he would let her later on. Oh, and he had given his name, hadn't he? So it was only right she returned the favor. "My name's Dita."

"Dita, huh?"

Naruto gave the girl a sideways look, before breaking out into a smile. While taking a picture while there was a possibility for explosions going off was out of the question in his books, perhaps a little good natured flirting would keep them both from getting too tense. Besides, it would be a crime for him _not _flirt around now that he was finally with a woman. His former sensei, kami rest his soul, would be ashamed if he didn't take this opportunity.

"That's a very beautiful name," he told her, flashing the foxy grin he made so famous on his home planet, or dimension, he had yet to figure out which. It was a pleasant surprise to see that his smile had the same effect on women here that it did in the Elemental Nations. That is to say, Dita blushed and glanced down at the floor bashfully.

Naruto withheld a small chuckle. He was pleased to know that at least some of the talents imparted to him thanks to... well, thanks to a few people he had grown to cherish still existed. He ignored the sharp pain in his heart at the thought of them. So long as he wasn't in the Elemental Nations, Obito couldn't complete his Moon Eye plan. They would be happier without him.

They soon came upon a large pile of rubble made from twisted scraps of metal and large pipes that had broken or been destroyed when the women, a guess he got from Dita's presence, had attacked the ship. Which did make him wonder just what they were doing here attacking a ship. Then again, they were at war with men, or so he had been told, did they even need a reason to attack?

"Looks like we need to climb up here, Dita," he carefully climbed up the debris, testing it's sturdiness. He could climb up it easily with his chakra, but Dita couldn't. It simply wouldn't do to have her get hurt.

He turned around and offered the girl his hand once more.

"This debris isn't very sturdy," he told her when she looked at him. "I'll help you climb up, and then we'll see if I can't help you reach your ship."

Dita blushed a bit as she reached out to place her hand in his.

"Dita!"

Surprised, both Naruto and Dita turned around to see Meia and Jura running towards them.

"Shit," Naruto swore as he channeled chakra into his legs and jumped much higher than humanly possible, away from Dita and the approaching females. A part of him was tempted to stay, but his instincts were telling that doing so might not be the best idea right now. Dita was nice enough, but from what he had gathered she may be the odd girl out. There was no gaurentee that these other two would be as accepting as she was.

"Ah! Mr. Alien, wait!" Dita cried out. She watched as the blond gave her a sad smile, before hopping from one block of twisted metal to the next. The red head made to follow him, but was soon tackled by an irate Meia.

"Dita, you know better than to separate from the rest of the team!"

At receiving a harsh scolding from her team Leader, Dita's face took on a depressed look. "I'm sorry, Meia," she muttered.

Meia, well, she just sighed.

"Let's just go. We have to get out of here before those missiles hit us."

Dita took one last look at where her new alien friend disappeared to, before running off to follow Meia and Jura.

XoX

Naruto sighed in relief when he saw the very same Vanguard he had been trying to break into when he reached the top of the debris. And look, the cockpit was actually opened. A good thing for him since he had not been sure how it opened. Really, you'd think they would have some kind of open button or something.

Getting into the cockpit, Naruto sat down and placed the egg-bot, which he had oddly enough kept with him through the entire fiasco with Dita, on his lap. Closing the hatch, Naruto went to start her up, then sighed in frustration as he realized he had no idea _how _to turn the damn thing on.

Perhaps it was not so surprising, Naruto knew he shouldn't be, but he was beginning to realize he really hadn't planned all this out as well as he thought.

Frowning, Naruto tried pushing several buttons on the console. Nothing. Not even a beep. Was it out of power? Maybe it had never even been charged up in the first place. If that was the case Naruto was glad no one knew about his plan to escape on a Vanguard but him, because that would have been seriously embarrassing if someone found out. They'd probably never let him hear the end of it.

_**'Aren't you forgetting about me.'**_

_'Ugh, right, you saw everything, didn't you?'_ It wasn't like Naruto had forgotten about the snarky fox, just that his mind had been on other things. Well, this officially sucked because he knew that Kurama would never let him hear the end this. The blond Uzumaki wouldn't be surprised if the ancient kitsune brought this entire failed-from-the-start escape plan for years.

Just as he thought that a large explosion seemed to rock the ship, and Naruto's entire world was engulfed in blue light.

* * *

><p><strong>Another challenge, this one a NarutoVandread challenge. Why you ask? Well, why not? There are only 3 stories out there that are of the Naruto/Vandread genre, and to be perfectly honestly, I don't think any of them are good. Bad grammar, poorly written, and not very well thought out. I'm actually tempted to write this one myself because of that but, well, I don't have anywhere near enough time on my hands for another story. This challenge will have to do for now, and maybe I'll pick it up later on.**

**I have no real requirements for this challenge, except that the pairing must be either Naruto/Dita or Naruto/Dita/Harem, and you must somehow eventually include Hibiki into the story, either as an enemy or ally to the Majere Pirates.**

**Give me a PM if you're interested. Good luck.**


	10. Rosario and Naruto

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, that is owned by some asshole named Masashi Kishimoto. Nor do I own Rosario+Vampire, which is owned by Akihisea Ikeda. All I own are the ideas that come out of this fanfiction and my totally awesome computer.**

**Rosario+Naruto Crossover Challenge**

* * *

><p><strong>'Tell me again, why are we doing this?'<strong>

Uzumaki Naruto sighed as he looked away from his view outside of the orange school bus he was riding. It wasn't like there was much to look at anyways, just the rural farms of the Japanese countryside. He looked down to see the small red fox kit that was sitting in his lap, whose ears he had been absently scratching, staring up at him with big red eyes that looked non to pleased.

_'I don't know,'_ he answered after several seconds of dealing with the foxes uncomfortable staring. He turned his head and looked back out the window, watching as a large red crop harvesting machine drove along one of the many farms that dotted the countryside. _'I guess I figured it might be fun to actually go to high school. I've never been to school before, aside from the ninja academy, and I don't really think that can be considered a real school. Not like a high school anyways.'_

The fox snorted. **'I get that, sort of. What I guess I really want to know is why I have to be in this form?'**

A smile worked it's way on the blonds face. _'Why? You should be more comfortable in that form. Weren't you born a fox?'_

**'Don't mock me,'** Kyuubi bristled as her slitted red eyes narrowed. **'You know as well as I do that I haven't been in this form for a long time. I can't even remember the last time I did anything as a fox.'**

_'I know. But you know why we can't do that. I would have forged a copy of that entrance form if I could. Believe me when I say that I would have liked nothing more to see you in a school girls uniform.'_ Kyuubi interrupted the blond when she released a sound that was something between a feminine snort of amusement and a very pleased giggle. Naruto grinned, then continued. _'However, there was no way I could have done that. Not with a registration form like this anyways.'_

Kyuubi sighed as she lowered her head and let it rest on Naruto's lap. **'I know, and it probably wouldn't be a good idea for me to be in my human form where we're going anyways. I don't know anything about this school, but with a name like Yokai Academy you can bet it's not your normal high school.'**

_'As apposed to what?'_ asked Naruto with a wry smile. _'Neither you nor I have ever been to high school. Hell, you've never been to school period. Granted, that name does strike me as odd, but it could just be that the headmaster or whatever has a fetish for monster movies.'_

**'I know you believe your words about as much as I do. Don't try and play this off, the name is the whole reason you wanted to go to this school, isn't it?'**

Naruto's guilty smile said it all. _'Well...'_

"Hey kid."

Naruto blinked as the sound of a voice outside of his head intruded on his and Kyuubi's private conversation. He looked up; the bus was pretty much empty, with him as the only student on it. The only other occupant sat at the front behind the steering wheel, his back presented to Naruto blocked the blond's view of the man's face, his form slightly blurred by the light shining off the glass barrier between them. Only the upper half of his body could be distinguished, a dark blue coat and driving cap reminiscent of most bus drivers.

"Are you a new student at Yokai Academy?"

"Well, I am on this bus, which is headed to Yokai Academy, is it not?" answered Naruto with mocking sarcasm. "So I would say that, yes, I am a new student at Yokai Academy."

The bus driver chuckled, whether from Naruto's retort or something else entirely, neither the blond nor Kyuubi knew. Neither did they care for that matter.

"In that case you'd better prepare yourself," the bus driver said in what sounded like it was supposed to be a 'creepy' or perhaps 'ominous' tone. "That's one scary ass school you're going to."

Naruto blinked. Kyuubi blinked. Naruto blinked again, for good measure. Then he scoffed. "If your ugly ass is anything like what to expect at Yokai Academy then I doubt there is much to worry about."

"Hehehe, you can believe that if you want. Maybe it will help you sleep at night."

"Che, whatever."

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto had a blank expression on his face as he stared at the sign that read 'Yokai Academy' in yellow Kanji. Said sign was essentially a scarecrow, only instead of being a body stuffed with hay, it was a long wooden pole, with a rectangular purple sign bordered by wood in the middle. It had a pumpkin head with a smiling face that had jagged teeth carved into it. Below the pumpkin head was another pole at about where the shoulder would be on a person acting as a set of arms, with a pair of gloves dangling off it from either side. Draped over the 'arms' of the scarecrow was a long cape, purple on the outside and red on the inside, with jagged edges running along the bottom that fluttered in a nonexistent breeze.<p>

Looking out beyond the sign, Naruto saw that he was standing near the ledge of a cliff, the ground barren and lifeless, devoid of all forms of flora and fauna, and with only a couple rocks dotting it's surface. Below the cliff face, liquid shimmered, the red tint it had letting the blond know that whatever it was, it was most certainly _not _water. At the same time he was not sure if it was blood because, well, the number of people who would have had to be drained to fill up the ocean-like body of... liquid that extended beyond the horizon would probably be more then ninety percent of the worlds population. He didn't know what the liquid was, and in truth, he didn't really care.

To the right of the scarecrow, Naruto found himself looking at a tree. A tree that looked more like some kind of strange creature writhing in agony as it listed to one side. It's barren branches splayed out over the top of it's head like a bunch of arms twitching in pain as they swayed in the same nonexistent breeze as the scarecrow signs cape. A single knothole located three-fourths up the tree gave the thing it's agonized look, looking for all the world like a mouth as it screamed in pain.

"Are. You. Fucking. Kidding me?"

Sitting on his shoulder, Kyuubi snickered. **'Well, perhaps you had a point when you said the guy who created this academy had a fetish for monster movies.'**

Naruto shook his head, not even deigning to comment on that. _'I had expected the school to be... different, but this is just way too much.'_

His thoughts were interrupted when the Bus Driver, still seated at his driving station and looking at him with a twisted grin, spoke up. "I'd watch your back if I were you. Yokai Academy can be a dangerous place."

Naruto turned his head, looking back at the man who had driven him here. The bus driver had a fairly plain face, black hair, a trimmed mustache, and distinguished look. Yes, he looked mostly normal, save for the creepy ass smile that nearly split his face in half and the way his hat shadowed the upper half of his face, leaving everything except for his glowing white eyes invisible.

"Che, whatever you say. Personally, I think it's the people of this school who should watch out for me."

"Heh, I hope you can keep up that confidence once classes start."

With that parting shot, the bus driver closed the door and drove off. Naruto watched as the bus drove away, heading back towards the tunnel that had brought him here. As soon as the bus disappeared, the blond took another look around the place, before his eyes landed on a building way off in the distance.

"That must be the school," he said, then looked down at himself. "I hope their classes are better then their uniforms."

A grimace came to his face as he got a look at his 'school uniform'. A puke green trail blazer with a white undershirt and red tie combo, and a pair of khaki slacks made up the outfit. It was easily the ugliest outfit he had ever seen, which was saying something.

Kyuubi snickered. **'This isn't that much worse compared to what you normally wear.'**

_'Oi!'_ Naruto gained a tic mark on his head as he began walking towards the school. _'Don't diss the orange. That's not cool.'_ His response was another snicker from the vixen on his shoulders. Sighing, Naruto decided to just ignore Kyuubi and did so by taking a look at his surroundings.

The path he was taking was very dark, only a few rays of ominous, dark yellow light managed to break through the thick, jagged branches of the dead trees that surrounded the dirt road he was taking. The gavel was soft, leading him to believe it was either very walked on, or someone had been digging recently. The fact that he could see several tombstones on the side of the road let him know which theory was more plausible. Several crows began to caw, and Naruto looked up to see the raven winged avions staring at him with glowing, evil red eyes.

_'I know I said any guy who named a school Yokai Academy had an obsession with monster movies, but this is just too much.'_ Naruto thought with a sweat drop. _'Seriously, who the hell goes to so much effort making a school look like every clichéd horror movie on the face of the planet.'_

**'Someone who has too much time on their hands,'**Kyuubi suggested. **'Or perhaps someone who knows a thing or two about monsters. You felt the barrier we passed when we went through the tunnel, yes?'**

_'How could I not? It was nowhere near as subtle as some of the other ones we've run into, Madara-teme's barriers kicked that crap in the ass. Still, ripping a whole through the fabrics of reality is pretty difficult to do. Even back then there were only a few people capable of it.'_

**'Which just goes to show you that this is no ordinary academy.'**

Naruto sighed. _'Right, I got you, you were right. Is that what you want me to say?'_

Kyuubi smiled, and was about to respond, when her ears suddenly perked up. A moment later she hopped off the blonds shoulder and began moving away from him.

_'Oi! Kyuubi-chan, where are you heading off t –"_

"COMING THROUGH!"

Naruto turned around at the shout and was just in time to see a green bicycle racing towards him. However, the thing that stood out the most to him wasn't the bike, it was...

"Pink?"

**CRASH!**

"ACK!"

Before his mind could even register what he had seen, the bicycle smacked into him full on with all of the force of a freight train. The blond smacked into ground hard, the bicycle continuing on to smack him in the nose, breaking it if the crunching sound was anything to go by. He landed on his back, hitting the ground hard, as something else smacked into his front.

The blond lay there for several moments, blinking as he absently wondered why there were so many stars floating around his head. At least, until Kyuubi's snickering caught his attention.

**'I can't believe you let that bike hit you. Back when you were a ninja, you'd have been more then capable of reacting to that. You would have heard it coming from miles away too. You must be losing your touch in your old age, Naruto-ojisan.'**

_'Hush you,'_ Naruto spoke, his voice sounding like a groan even in his head. _'You know as well as I do that I keep most of my senses turned off unless I need them. Unlike you, I can't control the intensity of my five senses, and I have no desire to have my ear drums burst every time I turn them on just so I can be prepared. Besides, what was I supposed to do? Dodge and let the poor girl run into a tree?'_

Kyuubi snorted. **'I think you just wanted to have her fall on top of you.'**

Naruto didn't respond to that, instead checking to see if anything was damaged. There was some liquid coming out of his nose, and with a sigh, he realized that the bone was indeed broken. Absently, he reached up and cracked it back into place. It would heal in a few seconds so there was no need to do anything beyond that. Finding that there was nothing else wrong with him, he decided to focus on the girl that had landed on top of him.

"Are you ok, miss?"

* * *

><p>Akashiya Moka groaned as she lay on the soft ground beneath her, struggling to bring her dizziness under control. What a time for her anemia to start acting up again, not just a few hours before the school year starts, but also while she was on her way to school. Maybe this was some kind of bad omen or something. Perhaps it was a way of telling her this school year would be like all the others.<p>

She hoped not, but one never knew.

Worse still, she had just run over some poor boy. Not only did she feel terrible about crashing into him, but there was no doubt in her mind that he would tell everyone he knew that some weird girl ran him over and that they shouldn't associate with her.

So into her own thoughts, Moka wasn't even aware of her surroundings until an unfamiliar male voice spoke up.

"Are you ok, miss?"

Moka froze at the sound of the concerned male voice. Her mind began reeling as her senses started taking in the other factors of her surroundings, namely the ground she was laying on. For one thing, it was a lot softer then she had expected dirt to be, it also didn't feel like dirt, more like fabric. Then there was the warmth the ground was emitting, which was just not natural for ground to do. Unless it was a hot spring, but when she considered where she was, she could definitely conclude that this was not hotspring. Finally, there was a rhythmic pulsing in her ear, something that a dirt road definitely didn't do.

Ground didn't have a pulse, after all. At least as far as she knew.

In an effort to learn more, Moka's hand wandered along the fabric of the 'ground' she was laying on. It felt a lot like some kind of cloth, cotton or linen most likely. Beneath the fabric she could feel a light heat being emitted, along with the steady rise and fall of someone's breathing. Her hand rubbed against a small mound... no, not a mound, it was too square and defined to be a mound. More like a small brick, only softer... and then there was...

Wait.

Breathing?

Looking up, Moka's eyes widened as she found herself staring into a pair of the most beautiful blue orbs she had ever seen. They seemed to glow with an air of confidence and mischievous, and something else that she couldn't quite identity. Those orbs, they seemed to pierce her soul, it was like they were looking into her, through her, as if her entire life was laid barren before them. She felt naked and vulnerable from those eyes. Yet at the same time, oddly safe, like she knew they wouldn't harm her.

Weird.

The attractive eyes were set into an equally attractive face, lightly tanned skin, roguish good looks and three of the cutest whisker marks she had ever seen. Being so close up it was impossible not to notice them, they were the only imperfection she could see on the otherwise smooth and flawless face. Though, in her honest opinion, the whiskers weren't an imperfection and seemed to suit the face they were attached to perfectly. A part of her was very tempted to reach out and touch them just to see if they were real...

"I know I'm handsome, but you might want to close your mouth, unless you're trying to catch flies in it."

Moka's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. When had she opened it? Suddenly, she realized she had not only been staring at him, but also how close they were. Her nose was merely a an inch or two from the blond's.

Heat rose to her cheeks and a blush blossomed across her face. With a speed that had the young man blinking, Moka jerked off him and landed on her butt several feet away.

"I... I'm so sorry, I was in a rush to get to school when my anemia acted up and I –"

"Woah, whoa, whoa, slow down," he said, interrupting the girl before she could truly begin. "There's nothing to apologize for, neither one of us are hurt. At least, I'm not. Are you?"

"Ah, um, no, I don't think..." Moka responded unsurely. She looked down at her body, checking herself over. Aside from a few scratches and scuff marks on her clothes there was nothing wrong with her it seemed. She turned her head to look back up at the young blond. "I'm fine. Again, I'm really sorry about running into you. I was so excited about going to school that I – oh my! You're bleeding!"

"Eh?" The blond blinked, confused, before remembering that he had just broken his nose. Lifting a hand he wiped off the crimson liquid that had leaked out of it before his nose had healed. "Nah, I'm fine. Nose wounds always bleed a little more then usual. Don't worry about me."

Despite his reassurances, Moka was quick to reached into her outer left hand pocket where she pulled out a small white cloth.

"Here, let me help you."

Moka moved back over to him, crawling, before she reached him. She leaned towards him, her eyes going to the small trickle of blood that had escaped his nose. However, as she leaned in the most heavenly of aromas hit her nose. It was the most incredible smell she had ever come across, something that couldn't be put into words, but if she had to try, Moka would say it was the scent of perfection with an underlying hint of power.

Moka's mouth went dry.

"E-Eh!? H-Hey, are you feeling alright? Your face is kind of red."

The blond's startled voice came to her, but it was muted, as if coming from a great distance. She fell into him, her mind was in a haze, the scent of his blood driving her wild. Her face fell into his chest, she could hear his heart beating against her ears. The sound of blood being pumped through his veins was enough to set her own blood singing. As her breathing got heavy, she looked up into the confused and slightly startled eyes of the person she had landed on.

"I'm really sorry about this..." she murmured, her cheeks aflame with heat. In fact, her entire body felt like it was on fire. "I just... lose control of myself whenever I smell that scent... You see... I'm a vampire."

With that, she leaned down and sank her fangs into his neck.

And then, she experienced bliss.

* * *

><p><em>'Huh?'<em> Naruto sat there, blinking as his mind went through the last few sentences the pink haired girl said. _'Kyuubi-chan, did I just hear her right?'_

**'If by right, you mean her telling you that she was a vampire, then yes,' **Kyuubi said, her voice a mixture of amused and exasperated. **'I have to admit, Naruto-kun. You don't pick 'em very often, but when you do, you sure know how to pick 'em.'**

_'Whether or not I 'pick her' as you so eloquently put it remains to be seen. I won't break my promise to you, you know that.'_

**'I know,'**Kyuubi said softly. There was a smile in her voice, and he was sure if he saw her there would be a smile on her face.

In her human form, not her fox form. The smile she had when she was a kitsune was just pure evil.

**'Thank you.'**

_'You never need to thank me for something like that,'_ Naruto replied. _'I may not be able to change some things about myself, but the least I can do is ensure your continued happiness.'_

**'I would never want you to change yourself, Naruto-kun. Your personality and quirks make you, you, and if you weren't yourself, faults and all, then you wouldn't be the man I fell in love with all those years ago.'**

Naruto smiled at her words. _'Thanks Kyuu, I can never express how much it means to know that you can accept me even with all of my faults...' _

He trailed off a second later, his eyes traveling down to look at the girl who was still feeding off him.

_'She's been drinking from me for an awfully long time. Five minutes, at least. Maybe I should stop her or something.'_

A giggle was his answer. **'That may be a good idea.'**

"Um, excuse me miss," the blond said out loud. "I don't want to be rude or anything, but are you finished?"

The blonds words seemed to penetrate the thick haze that had surrounded the girls mind since she began drinking his blood. She opened her eyes, her half-lidded gaze of hazy lust lasting for only a second before she realized what she was doing. With a cry and a startled jerk, the rosette fell backwards... again.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bite you!"

Naruto laughed the poor frantic girls apology off. "It's fine, no harm done, I think." His hand went to his neck where the girl had bitten him. Yep, the wound was already healed over. "I heal pretty fast."

Placing his hands on the ground on either side of him, the blond pushed himself onto his feet. He stood there for a second, gazing down at the young girl who was still sitting on the ground and looking up at him with wide innocent eyes.

Now that he was getting a good look at her, Naruto had to admit she was gorgeous. He had met many women in his life, more than anyone else would ever have a right to meet. And in all that time, with all those girls, he could say with full honesty that few could ever match up to the looks of enchanting beauty this girl possessed.

She was young, at a guess he had to say she was probably around sixteen or seventeen years of age. Her long, silky, pink hair laid flat against her head with the sole exception of a single strand that stuck into the air at the front and curled around in a slight spiral. Her hair swept across her forehead in a set of bangs that moved off to either side, framing a face that was a vision of loveliness and innocence. Bright, big emerald orbs stared out at him, enhancing that quality of innocence that few could match. As a contrast, the girls pouty, pink lips gave her an alluring quality.

She was wearing the female version of his school uniform; a green blazer and white shirt that was partially unbuttoned at the top. A darker khaki colored skirt with lighter khaki bars going down it in rows of two every few centimeters, followed a pair of thick, black socks that rode up her calves and a pair of black shoes finished the general ensemble. The skirt was a little on the short side, in fact, it was so short that if the girl were to bend over she would give Naruto a perfect panty shot. He definitely had to thank the pervert who designed the girls dress uniform, even if their choice of color sucked.

If only the school uniform was in a more awesome color, like say, orange, then everything would be perfect.

The only other item of interest she had on was a black choker around her throat, it was unlike anything he had ever seen. There were two pearl-like necklaces that hung around the bottom like a set of lights that people tended to decorate the roofing of their houses with during Christmas. In the center of the choker was a chain that ended with an ornate cross that was set between the valley of her breasts. The cross itself was the kind he would expect to see in a church, with rounded clover-like edges, and had a round gem the color of blood in the center. A black line moved across the four sides of the cross, starting from the gem and moving out. It was an interesting piece to her ensemble, and not something he would have expected to see on a girl so innocent looking.

He didn't miss the youkai it was suppressing, but didn't feel it was worth mentioning.

His observations didn't last very long, barely enough for the girl below him to even register before he held out his hand. The girl looked at it for a second, as if unsure why he was holding it out to her. After a second or two of staring, she seemed to realize what he was doing, and reached out to gently place her own hand in his. The blond lifted her up onto her feet and made a quick check of her for any injuries. When that was done he took a step back to look at her properly.

"Well, since we've run into each other, perhaps we should introduce ourselves?"

"Ah! You're right!" The girl interrupted him just as he was about to give out his name. The look of complete shock on her face was almost amusing. "I completely forgot about introductions! How rude of me! My name is Akashiya Moka."

The blond sweat dropped. This girl was really dramatic. Still, it was pretty cute to watch her freak out over something so small. A smile worked it's way onto his face. "And I'm Uzumaki Naruto." A second later, something landed on the blonds head, and he jerked his thumb up towards the object. "And this is... Kyuu-chan. My friend and partner in all things."

Moka took one look at the small fox kit on Naruto's head before hearts appeared in her eyes.

"Kawaii!"

Kyuubi barely had any time to react before she was grabbed and pulled into a hug by the rosette. An amused grin worked its way onto Naruto's face as he watched Kyuubi being cuddled into the young girls cleavage.

_'Enjoying yourself?'_ he asked.

**'Naruto,'**Kyuubi said, her voice deceptively calm. **'If you do not get me out of this right now, not only will you be sleeping on the couch, but I will also place a seal on you that will ensure you can never eat ramen again without vomiting.'**

Naruto shivered at the threat, both of those threats were far too horrible to imagine.

_'Alright, alright, no need to bring out such violent threats. Sheesh!' _

"Moka-chan, I know Kyuu-chan's cute and all, but could you stop squeezing her so hard, you're choking her."

"Huh?" It only took a second for Moka to register the blond's words, and when she did, she jerked back as if she had been scalded. Kyuubi jumped out of the girls grasp and landed on Naruto's shoulder as the rosette began stuttering out apologies.

"Ma, ma, it's fine," Naruto said, waving off her concerns even as he ignored the slight growl coming from Kyuubi. "Kyuu-chan just doesn't like being held by people she doesn't know is all. But I'm sure once we get to know you a bit better, she'll be more open with you."

"Eh? Get to know me a bit better?" Moka's eyes widened. "You mean you want to get to know me even after I ran you over?"

Naruto frowned, more at the tone of her voice then the words she had spoken. For some reason, he did not like the way she had sounded just then. Wanting to reassure her, he said, "of course I do. Why wouldn't I want to get to know you better?"

"W-Well, it's just that... I'm a vampire and..."

"So?" asked Naruto, making the girl who had been squirming uncomfortably look up in surprise. He flashed her a quick grin. "I could care less whether you're a vampire or not. There is no way I would refuse to befriend such a cute girl just because she's a vampire."

Moka blushed at the blonds words, clearly she was either not used to compliments, or was just one of those really shy girls who didn't take compliments well. Either way that just meant Naruto would have more fun teasing her.

Her blush didn't last as long as he had expected, however, when the rest of his words registered in her ears. Namely, his comments about not caring that she was a vampire. Her blush was still there, but it was rapidly fading as a smile that lit up the entire creepy, graveyard-like pathway in it's radiance came to her face.

"Oh thank you!"

**CRASH!**

"OOF!"

And for the second time that day, Naruto was sent to the ground as the girl bodily tackled him with a hug.

_'W-What the hell!?' _

Naruto's surprised voice was quickly followed by Kyuubi's snickering. _She _had gotten out of the way as soon as she realized what had been about to happen, and was now standing off to the side watching as the rosette happily nuzzled against the blond who was once again lying on the ground.

_'I know I wasn't really prepared for that, but to knock me over so easily requires quite a bit of strength.' _He looked down at the girl hugging him for all she was worth, she was actually quite strong.

He chuckled.

_'Vampire indeed.'_

A few seconds later Moka sat up, still straddling his waist, and looked down at him with a smile that radiated such purity and innocence it was almost blinding. It was in complete contrast with the fact that she was straddling him in a way that anyone who saw them would mistake for an intimate moment between two people.

"I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that you don't hate vampires," she said, placing a hand against her chest as if to emphasis her relief. "I was so worried about coming to this school because I don't know anybody here. I was afraid that I might not be able to make any friends."

Again, her words were odd and Naruto had to frown as he listened to them. There was something about her statement that just didn't feel right. Then there was that odd sense of familiarity with her words, as if he had heard them somewhere before...

He put his thoughts out of his mind as he pushed himself into a sitting position and using his hands to hold his weight as he leaned back. Offering the girl a smile, he said, "well, now you can rest assured that you have a friend with me." The girl gave him another smile that Naruto was beginning to realize was her trademark.

A sly smile crept across his face.

"Of course, for someone as beautiful as you, I'm sure you'll be able to make a lot of friends before the year is out."

The way Moka's face lit up like a Christmas tree as she looked at the ground was more then enough to make Naruto's day.

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>The classroom Naruto found himself sitting in was about what he had expected a classroom to look like, though he had not been in one since the academy. The floor was tiled with large, purple bricks, which was a little odd, but not something he was concerned over. The walls were a white, and had several green chalk boards bordered by brown wood on all sides except to his left, which contained several windows that gave everybody a view of the... dead landscape outside. Again, a little odd, but he didn't hold the classroom responsible for the person who decided to make the landscape look like a horror movie cliché.<p>

Several desks were lined up in the classroom, five rows of four, and they were facing what Naruto perceived as the front of the classroom, if for no other reason then the chalkboard and large wooden desk that was there.

_'I wonder where Moka went off to?'_ he asked himself as he looked around at the other students. Sometime during the rush of students trying to get to class, they had gotten separated. He hoped she was alright, a girl that innocent was rather easy pickings for guys who loved taking advantage of women.

**'Worried about your girlfriend?'**

Naruto rolled his eyes at Kyuubi's words. _'She's not my girlfriend... yet. And of course I'm worried about her. You saw how she acted. Any perv with half a brain could easily take advantage of her.'_

**'Calm down, Naruto-kun, I'm just teasing you,'** Kyuubi said, and Naruto could actually feel the eye roll his mate gave him. **'I swear, you get so protective whenever you make a new friend. I'm just trying to get you to relax a little bit. If you remain so tense, you're more then likely to end up killing someone because you can't control yourself.'**

_'I know, I'm sorry. Thank you, Kyuubi-chan.'_

**'You're welcome.'**

"Good morning students! For all of you who are new here, welcome to Yokai Academy!"

Naruto looked up at the young woman standing in front of the class. The woman was quite pretty, with light brown, shoulder length hair that had a pair of tufts sticking out on either side of it, and a body that held a decent set of curves. She was wearing red rimmed glasses, a white colored shirt over an orange low-cropped shirt that showed off a bit of her bust, a dark brown skirt that covered nicely toned legs, sandaled feet, and a necklace with a cat bell(?) on it. The mere fact that she was wearing orange put her high up there on Naruto's list of people he liked. Any woman who wore orange was a woman worth knowing.

He wondered if teacher/student relationships were allowed?

"My name is Nekanome Shizuka and I'll be your teacher."

The woman's – Shizuka's voice, snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. He began paying a bit more attention to what she was saying, figuring he could ogle her a little later. He was going to be in her class for a whole year, after all.

"Well, I'm sure that everybody knows this already, but Yokai Academy is an incredibly unique school. One that's exclusively for monsters. Currently, this planet is well under the control of humans. So in order for monsters like you and I to survive." Here, Shizuka pointed the metal pointer in her hand at the class, as if to emphasis her point. "Is to learn how to coexist with them!"

_'Ah, so this is where the name Yokai Academy comes in,'_ Naruto thought wryly. He looked around at his fellow students, just to be on the safe side. And sure enough, no one around him seemed to be even the slightest bit surprised by the teachers statements, which to him meant one of two things; either everyone here was insane, or Shizuka was telling the truth.

He was going with the latter theory.

Which of course, begged another question.

_'How in the hell did that human boy get a registration letter from Yokai Academy?'_ he asked himself. _'I've never even heard of this place, so for someone like that kid to actually receive a letter is odd.'_

**'Odd, and a little suspicious,'**Kyuubi decided to add her two scents. **'The fact that some human boy received a letter to this school is no coincidence. Someone _wanted _him to come here. The question is, who?'**

_'Who knows?' _Naruto said, giving the mental equivalent of a shrug as he put the thought out of his mind. It was something to ponder later, for sure. _'I'm sure we'll find out eventually.'_

"And that brings us to our first rule," Shizuka continued in a cheerful voice. She walked over to the chalk board at the front, which contained several rules written in kanji. The woman used the pointer in her hand to point at the chalk board as she continued speaking, "except for special circumstances, as long as you are on campus, you must always remain in your human form. Does everybody understand? Good. Rule number two: never reveal your monster identity to another student. I'm sure you can see why. I expect all of you to follow these rules, okay?"

"Che, what a bunch of lame rules."

Naruto looked over to his right to see a tall looking teen with slicked-backed, brown hair, brown colored skin, a lip piercing and a diamond shaped earring slouched against his desk. He had a very lazy posture, with one arm thrown behind his chair and the other resting casually on the desk. Even his uniform seemed to reflect his general lazy, or perhaps arrogant, attitude. It was ruffled, with the blazer undone, his shirt untucked, and the top button undone while his tie hung loosely around his neck. His mouth was curled in a smirk and his beady eyes seemed to be looking at the teacher with an arrogance Naruto hadn't seen since Uchiha Sasuke.

The blond figured the boy was trying to go for a 'rebel' look, but to the blond, he just looked like a kid trying to play gangster.

"If we spotted a human wouldn't it be better if we just ate them?" the boy asked, before chuckling. "At least, we eat the guys. In the case that we run into any beautiful girls, we can at the very least have some fun with them before tossing their carcass for the carrion eaters."

Very few people seemed capable of coming to terms with that last statement. All of the girls looked repulsed, their senses offended by being in the same room with a guy who would rape a female, even if said female was human. The guys were on the fence, a few looked like they wanted to agree but feared being hated by the girls, while others looked at the guy who spoke nervously.

Naruto? He scoffed.

"My aren't you a pathetic waste of space."

The gangster wannabe turned to look at Naruto with a glare. "What was that, punk?"

"You heard me," Naruto said with a smirk. "Ooh, we should rape all the females we come across! That's what I'd do!" The blond emulated his voice to match the fool with the flapping gums. "You must be really pathetic if you have to rape girls just to get some. Of course, given how butt ugly you are, I doubt even your own mother could love you."

"You little shit!" The wannabe gangster shoved his chair to the ground as he stood up, snarling and frothing at the mouth. "You'd better watch you say around me, I've killed idiots for less."

"H-Hey now!" Shizuka said worriedly. "Fighting at school is not allowed!"

Her pleas when unheard as Naruto stood up as well.

"Oh my, I'm soo~ scared!" Naruto said in a high pitched voice as he pressed his hands against his face and adopted a look of mock horror. "The big ugly prick is out to get me! Whatever will I do!"

"Why you –"

"Excuse me!"

the tension created from the potential fight left the room as everyone turned as the door slid open and a figure walked in. Naruto blinked, before a small grin worked it's way onto his face.

_'Man, I must have really lucked out to have her in my class.'_ He glanced over at Mr. Foot-in-his-mouth and narrowed his eyes. _'However, I'll need to make sure I keep him away from her.'_

"I'm really sorry I'm late, but I got lost on the way here."

Shizuka gave a sigh of relief at the fortunate intervention. She wasn't quite sure what she would have done if she had gotten a fight on her hands. Even though she was a monster, it was clear to everyone with an eye for detail that she was not a fighter.

"It's fine," Shizuka said, the relief on her face evident in her voice. "Why don't you come on in and introduce yourself."

"Hi! I'm Akashiya Moka!" The rosette said with a bright smile that made every boy there – sans Naruto – nearly die of moé.

"Oh god! Check this girl out! She's so hot!"

"I know man, I think I'm in love!"

"Look at those legs!"

"Screw the legs dude, look at those tits!"

Naruto sweat dropped at all of the comments he was hearing.

_'Ok, maybe I'll need to keep Mocha-chan away from everybody.'_

**'Jealous.'**

Naruto frowned. _'Concerned.'_

While Naruto was busy with his inner dialogue, Moka's eyes swept around the room before they landed on a familiar mop of spiky blond hair.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Eh?"

The blond looked up just in time to see a head of pink hair flying at him. Thankfully, Naruto was able to remember what happened last time she jumped on him, and was much more prepared for her arrival while she soared through the air. He reached out just as she smacked into him, spinning around once to keep himself stable, before setting the girl with the brilliant smile back onto her feet, hands lightly placing themselves on her hips.

He could feel several different sources of killing intent hitting him, as well as the muttered death threats from the male population of class. Not that the killing intent effected him, he had faced down Zabuza and Orochimaru when he was a twelve year old fresh out of the academy ninja, both of whom had more killing intent in their pinky than these monsters did in their entire bodies. And that wasn't even going into Uchiha Madara's ungodly killing intent, not to mention the blond's own powerful killing intent. Yeah, most of these smucks would probably die of a heart attack were he to unleash his own intent on them. Idiots.

He was only slightly surprised when he started hearing girls muttering angrily, only, instead of complaining about the him being all over the hot girl, they were doing so about 'that pink haired bitch being all over the hot blond'. Fan girls. He almost shivered, but that would have ruined his image of nonchalance and mischief, so he merely settled for ignoring everyone except for the girl in his arms.

"Is this the kind of greeting I can expect every time we meet?" asked Naruto, a smile tugging at his lips and his eyes alight with mirth.

"Ah! Sorry!" Moka gasped, her face growing red. Strangely enough she didn't pull away, though that could have had something to do with Naruto's hands upon her hips holding her in place. "I was just so excited to see you! Can you believe we're in the same class?"

"Well, I had certainly hoped we were in the same class," Naruto replied with a smile. "After all, I would have been really sad if I didn't have my newest and cutest friend in class with me."

"Ah... um..." Moka blushed, holding her hands in her cheeks as a wide smile crossed her face. This smile was a tad different from the others, but Naruto was not given time to analyze it before Shizuka told them all to be seated.

Several desks away, the guy who looked like a monsters version of white boy, licked his lips as he eyed the rosette with a hungry gaze.

"Akashiya Moka, hmm..."

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>Passing through the halls of Yokai Academy was a sight that caused every guy and girl who saw it to have mixed feelings. On the one hand, there was an extremely hot girlguy walking down the hallways, their shoes beating a steady rhythm against the oddly patterned blue tiling. On the other hand, both the guy and the girl were walking together, with the girls arms wrapped securely around the guys left arm, both of them talking and laughing as if they had known each other for years. No one knew whether they should drool over their respective attraction, or turn green with envy at the thought of that bastard/hussy being with their guy/girl!

A few of them settled for both.

Some of them even got nosebleeds daydreaming of the pair together.

"You're lying!" Moka said with a laugh, her eyes dancing as she looked at her companion. "You have to be lying, there's no way anybody could do that and get away with it."

Naruto just smirked as he walked beside her, Kyuubi lying on his hair like a fur hat. "I'm telling the truth; I painted the national monument in my home village, a fifty story mountain with the faces of all the leaders our village had, in the middle of the day wearing a bright orange jumpsuit. And then, I took our police force an a merry one hour chase around the village before I got tired of it."

Actually it was before Iruka-sensei had found him, but there was no way he was going to tell Moka that little detail and ruin his story.

"Did you really?" At Naruto's nod the beautiful rosette laughed again. "I can't believe you did that!"

_'She has a really cute laugh,'_ Naruto thought to himself. _'How long has it been since I've heard anyone have such an innocent laugh.' _He paused. _'Well, I guess I could count those kids I spent time with at the orphanage a few years back. But that's a completely different kettle of fish.'_

He studiously ignored the killing intent as he and Moka walked down the hallway. He could feel it of course, but it was so weak that it might as well not even there. Compared to the likes of Uchiha Madara's killing intent, or Orochimaru's, what was a couple of small time monsters?

Moka on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the killing intent directed at her by the female population. Indeed, her smile told him that not only did she not feel a thing, she was likely unable to even sense killing intent at all. Not that it mattered, they wouldn't do anything to her. Physically at least, and there was nothing they could do that Moka would likely care about so it was a moot point anyways.

They made their way outside – Naruto was amused to see that everybody had pushed their faces against the glass to glare at their respective objects of hatred and/or lust – where a vending machine stood off to the side of the door. Two drinks dropped into the can holder as they both made their selection. Naruto bent down to grab their drinks at the same time as Moka, both touched hands for a second, before Moka jerked hers away, stammering a bit. Naruto chuckled a bit as he grabbed their drinks. Her blushing apologies were rather cute.

"Come on," Naruto said as he balanced the two cans on top of each other, his can of chocolate milk on top of Moka's can of... tomato juice...?

Must be a vampire thing.

"Let's find someplace quiet to sit."

"Ok!"

Moka grabbed his arm in both of hers again and off they went. They soon found a small open air hallway surrounded by greenery – finally something alive! – flowers of all colors and several palm trees stood on either side. The roof was held up by roman columns, and there were several ornate wooden benches with curved metal framework spaced at even intervals. It was one of the benches that the two sat on, Naruto sitting in the center while Moka sat on his left, close enough that their thighs were touching.

Naruto watched in amusement, absently stroking a purring Kyuubi's fur, who had hopped into his lap as soon as he sat down, as he watched how Moka had to open her drink by using the... can puncher(?) that it came with, and poking two holes through, one on either side, for her fangs.

Definitely a drink for vampires.

The rosette took a long sip of her drink, making oddly cute gulping noises before she finished with a content sigh. She looked over at Naruto as he used his free hand to down his own drink, the other was still running fingers through Kyuubi's fur, in one go, and then crushed the can and tossed it into a trash can several meters away without looking.

"Wow! You have really good aim!" Moka admired with a bright smile.

"Yep, I've always been pretty good at throwing stuff." Yeah, sharp, deadly, pointy stuff. But there was no need to tell her that. "Whenever I went to a carnival, I could win any kind of game so long as it involved me having to aim at something."

"I've never been to a carnival before," Moka said with a melancholic smile. "But I've heard there really fun."

Naruto frowned for a moment, before putting his smile back in place. He switched out his right hand for his left, using it to begin scratching behind Kyuubi's ear, and placed the arm of his now free left arm around her shoulder. "In that case, the next time a festival comes along, I'll take you."

"Really!? Thank you so much!"

The hug she gave Naruto was strong enough that a normal human would have very well come out of it looking similar to the can he had crushed seconds prior. Was this the strength of a vampire? Naruto could only thank the ramen gods for chakra reinforcement.

"Don't mention it," Naruto told her, a sly smile working it's way to his face. He waited until Moka took a sip of her drink, and then said, "it should be me thanking you for allowing me to take someone as cute as you to a carnival."

Naruto laughed as Moka did a spit take, the entirety of her face taking on the same shade of the tomato juice she had been drinking. Ah, what a Kodiak moment. He wished he had a camera.

"N-Naruto-kun... I don't... I mean I..."

After several seconds of her trying to say something and him laughing, Moka huffed and gave him the most adorable pout he had ever seen.

"Mou~ meanie!"

"Sorry, sorry," Naruto said with an apologetic smile. "I couldn't help myself, you're just too cute when you blush like that."

His words caused Moka to blush again, but this time with a smile on her face. He was definitely racking up potential boyfriend points with this girl. The rest of their time together probably would have gone just as well if they weren't interrupted by the fool from before.

"Hey sexy."

The pair turned their heads and Naruto felt his mood sour as the Mr. wannabe gangster from class walked over to them.

You're Akashiya Moka, right?" he said in a tone that some may mistake as casual. However, most of those people were not Naruto, who even without using his enhanced senses could practically smell the lust and pheromones radiating off the brat. "My name is Komiya Saizou, another student in your class. I'm here to offer you my salutations."

Before Moka could even think of answering, and Saizou could open his mouth to spew more crap, Naruto spoke up. "You? Here to offer salutations?" The blond scoffed. "Don't try to use big words if you don't know what they mean. We both know the only thing you're here for is to try and get into Moka's pants. Here's a news flash for you, perv. Most girls like nice guys, not an idiot who looks like he wants to be a jabroni for Al Capone."

Saizou growled, then grabbed Naruto by the collar of his shirt and lifted him into the air, ignoring the startled gasp that came from the pinkette.

All the while he had his eyes on Moka.

"By the way," he said in that 'I'm trying to show off how cool and nonchalant I am, even though I'm really an idiot' kind of voice. Or as some people –Naruto – liked to call it, the voice of douche bags. "I can't help but wonder why such a beautiful girl is hanging around a loser like him. Wouldn't being with someone superior and better looking then a wimpy guy like him appeal to you more."

Moka looked at him, her head tilted and her eyes displaying obvious confusion. She looked back and forth between Saizou and Naruto several times before asking, "why are you holding a log wearing our school uniform?"

"Eh?"

Saizou looked down at his hand to see that, yes indeed, he was holding a log. He also noticed that, yes, it was wearing a school uniform. It even had a bright and spiky wig of blond hair on it and a face that looked like a five year old had painted it.

His face only had enough time to register shock before a voice shouted out, "Dynamic Entry!" and he was kicked in the face, hard.

As in, really hard.

Like, so hard he shot off his feet, crashed into, and then straight through, one of the support columns, where he continued sailing through the air like a rocket and disappeared into the the foliage where several dozen trees were felled to mark his passing.

"Oops!" Naruto said with a grin that said he was rather pleased with himself. Kyuubi hopped back onto his shoulder as he scratched the back of his head. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

He turned around to look at Moka, who was staring at him wide eyed.

"Mocha-chan?" he questioned, looking at the girl with a small amount of concern. "Are you alright?"

"Ah... um... yes!" Moka said, her voice coming back online after several seconds. She stood up and walked over to him. "You just surprised me is all. I didn't know you were so strong."

Naruto grinned as he swiped a thumb across his nose. "Not many people do as Saizou learned the hard way." He looked over at where Saizou had flown off to, then back at Moka. "Why don't we head get out of here. While I wouldn't mind showing 'shove-a-foot-my-mouth-Saizou' what happens when you mess with me, I'd prefer not to get violent on my first day of school."

Yeah, because kicking someone through a marble column and several dozen trees isn't violent at all.

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Oh wow! What an amazing view!"<p>

Naruto chuckled at the girls almost childlike enthusiasm as he leaned against the railing, the soft breeze ruffling his golden blond hair. He had to agree with her though, the view was quite incredible. Even though there really wasn't much to look at in his opinion.

After the small altercation between him and Saizou, the rosette and the blond had gone up to the roof, where they found themselves looking over the forest located at Yokai Academy... as well as the sea of the liquid-that-looked-like-blood-but-hopefully-wasn't.

His chuckle must have caught Moka's attention because she turned to look at him, her smile still in place. "You know, I was pretty worried there for a second when Saizou showed up. When he lifted you into the air like that, I was so scared." Her smile had turned into a slight frown as she spoke, but went back to a smile seconds later. "But then you did that weird thing with the log and sent him flying! How did you do that anyways? What kind of monster are you?"

"Hmm..." Naruto tilted his head, his face contemplative, "what kind of monster am I?"

"Ah! Sorry," Moka apologized as she seemed to realize something. "I forgot we're not supposed to reveal our monster forms to anyone, are we?"

"Speaking of monsters," Naruto said as he turned his body around, placing his arms behind him and using his elbows to lean back against the railing as he looked at Moka "I know that you're a vampire, but for some reason, I really can't see it. You don't look anything like a vampire."

"I don't look like a vampire right now, but look at this."

Naruto did look, and he gulped when Moka placed her hands on her chest and brushed against the fabric of her clothes.

Hey, he may not be a pervert, but he was still a male.

"You see this Rosario? If I were to take this off I would change back into my true form, a powerful and terrifying vampire. That's why I wear it, it's a charm to seal my powers away. I can't even take it off myself."

_'How intriguing?' _Naruto thought to himself as he looked at the Rosario, really looked at it and not the very nice pair of breasts Moka was sporting. _'There must be some kind of seal on it that locks away her powers, sort of like the Hakke No Fuïn Shiki I guess, only, instead of sealing away an all powerful entity, it seals up her powers instead.'_

**'There's a lot of Youki emanating from that Rosario,**' Kyuubi commented when she heard his thoughts. **'Whoever created that and sealed her powers away must have been extremely powerful.'**

_'Yeah, no kidding.'_

"I don't think you could ever be terrifying, Moka-chan," Naruto said. Moka's head snapped up, her eyes widening as she looked at him. The blond smiled. "So you regain your powers and become an immensely powerful vampire, it's not like that changes the fact that you're Mocha, my new friend."

The response to his words, aside from a radiant smile, was to have Moka glomp him once more in a hug of herculean proportions. Not that he had a problem with that. Naruto just smiled as he hugged back, enjoying the feel of Moka's breasts as they pressed themselves against his chest.

….

Ok, so maybe he was a bit of a pervert. So sue him.

"Oh I knew you'd understand! You're my first friend here!"

Moka loosened her hold and took a small step back, though her arms were still loosely wrapped around Naruto's neck while his hands rested against her hips.

"I also feel I should tell that you're my first in something else, Naruto-kun," she spoke, the look on her face, the small smile combined with the loveliest of blushes staining her cheeks was so cute that Naruto thought he died of moé.

_'E-eh!?'_

**'Oh dear.'**

This time, it was Naruto's turn to blush as his brain tried to reboot. He was her first? In what?

"U-Uh, Moka-chan, what are you –"

"Before today, all I've ever drank were tomato juice and transfusion packs." Moka pressed a hand to her lips, her smile decidedly shy. "I've never sucked anyone's blood before yours today. Your blood tasted soo~ good, so sweat, and rich, and... and... ha..." she paused to give a dreamy sigh, her eyes partially glazed over in remembrance. "It was almost indescribable. I'll never forget that you were my first."

Naruto sweat dropped. "You know, that's really not something a guy wants to hear when you talk about your first."

"Eh?" Moka blinked. "What am I supposed to talk about then?"

Naruto sighed. "Nothing, nothing, just forget I said anything."

Moka tilted her head cutely for a second, before smiling at her first friend. "Has anyone ever told you're weird, Naruto-kun?"

"All the time," Naruto deadpanned.

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>The deadpanned stare on Naruto's face did not leave him as he was dragged over to their dorm. Or, to be more accurate, it left while they were walking through the woods, but returned the moment he laid eyes on the dorms they would be staying at.<p>

"Look, Naruto-kun!" Moka said with an excited gaze, her eyes staring in awe at the amazing – to her – piece of architecture before them. "This is the school dorm we'll be living in! So cool. This building is so impressive, full of dignity and character!"

Naruto had another way of describing it.

"It's like the worlds biggest cliché."

The building they were staring at was actually two buildings standing on either side of each other, one was white, and had more of a rounded look; while the other was more of a drab gray and made with sharp edges that gave it a more imposing look. They were very tall buildings, eight stories all told, with each level containing square windows and several balconies where Naruto could see a sliding door that led to the inside of the dorm rooms. All in all, they looked very similar to a normal Japanese apartment building.

Except for the cracked paint all along the walls.

The stains that looked suspiciously like blood.

The many vines that hung along the cracked and blood stained walls.

The ominous cloud that seemed to hover over the whole complex complete with thunder and lightning.

And let's not forget the several dozen crows with creepy, glowing red eyes that were perched on the roof.

"Do you not like it Naruto-kun?" asked Moka.

"Moka-chan, this building looks like a dump," Naruto deadpanned.

"What!? That's not true! How can you say that!?"

"Easily."

"Mou~ well, I like it!"

Naruto shrugged. "To each their own, I suppose." He looked from the building over to Moka, and sighed when he saw she was looking away from him, eyes closed and nose upturned in a pout.

He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mkha-chan," Naruto said, sidling up to her and placing a hand on the small of her back. Moka started, eyes snapping open as she looked at him. The blond offered the girl a smile. "I didn't mean to insult something you like. It's just that I remember seeing buildings like this in so many horror movies that I really can't help but think the whole thing is a bit... well, cheesy."

"Well," Moka giggled a bit. "I've never watched a horror movie so I couldn't say, but I have heard of them so I guess I can see where you're coming from. Still," she gave him another pout, this one far more cute then her other one. "Please don't insult this building, that's like insulting a monster's heritage. And since you're a monster too, you should understand why that's not a good thing to do."

Naruto frowned for a second, but masked it quickly enough that Moka didn't see it. "Yeah, alright. I understand. I won't insult anymore buildings."

"Good."

"By the way, has anyone ever told you that you look very kissable when you pout like that?"

"N-Naruto-kun!"

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto sighed as he entered his dorm. As he stepped further into the room he got a good look around. It was very much your average Japanese one room apartment, with green tatami mats for flooring, white walls and ceiling, and a single fan spinning lazily above. There was a very small kitchen to his left, complete with a cooking stove, a fridge, microwave and dishwasher. On the opposite side was a small desk for doing homework assignments, while on the wall farthest from him was a window and sliding door that led to the balcony. The only other amenities that Naruto could see was the small couch located in one corner of the room next to a coffee table. All in all the whole set up was very basic.<p>

"It's a little small but I think it will do," Naruto said to himself, though the way he was eying the walls with distaste said something else. "Hmm... except I don't like these walls. They could use a little color."

"**You are not going to paint the walls orange, Naruto-kun,"** Kyuubi said, speaking outside of his mind for the first time since they got to Yokai Academy.

"Mou, come on, Kyuubi-chan," Naruto whined as the kitsune jumped off his shoulder. She landed on the floor and was enveloped in a red haze soon after. "This place is so bland, it could use some color."

"No means no, Naruto," Kyuubi said as the haze cleared, revealing her hybrid form. It was essentially her human form, except she had nine fluffy red tails sprouting from her tailbone and two fox ears poking out of her head, along with a pair of slits for pupils in her ruby red orbs.

She was wearing a red kimono with autumn leaves falling across the fabric starting at her left shoulder and covering the entirety of her sleeve, and following a vertical path down the length of article, before sweeping across diagonally to cover much of the lower portion her of her kimono. A black obi with red rose thorns circling around it kept the outfit from coming loose. Naruto noted she was standing barefoot.

He raised an eyebrow at the woman. "A little extravagant to wear in a simple school dorm, don't you think?"

"Don't try to change the subject," Kyuubi said, crossing her arms under bust. "We're not talking about my choice in clothes."

"Aw~ Come on, Kyuubi!"

"No means, no," Kyuubi said sternly.

"But –"

"Naruto-kun," the woman interrupted in a patient voice. "Do you remember what I said the last time you tried to paint anything orange."

The blond winced, but still answered. "You said 'Naruto, you can paint the house orange if you want, but if you do, you'll be sleeping on the couch'." Somehow, he managed to have quotation marks in his speech even though he didn't use them.

"Yes, and?"

Naruto grimaced. "Ugh... and... no... no..." The blonds face looked pained, as if whatever he was about to utter would damn him for life.

In a way, it was damning. For him at least.

"No ramen for the rest of my life."

"Good," Kyuubi said with a smile, before she walked up to Naruto with a few graceful steps. She pecked him on the lips and grinned at his sullen expression. "I knew I trained you well."

Naruto sent her a mock glare that just caused the red-haired goddess to chuckle. It didn't last very long however, as Kyuubi took him by the hand and led him over to the couch. Absently, Naruto created a cone to make them some dinner before she pushed him down, sitting him on the couch before she sat in his lap. As she snuggled herself into his chest and used his shoulder as a pillow, the blond wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled, before deciding it was time to get down to business.

"So what do you think so far?"

"Something's definitely fishy," Naruto said with a shrug. "Some human boy just so happens to find a flier and registration letter for a school specifically made to host monsters and teach them how to disguise themselves amongst humans for the sake of peaceful coexistence? I've never even heard of Yokai Academy until I saw the flier that kid dropped, so there's no way he could have."

"I have to agree," Kyuubi sighed in enjoyment as she felt one of her mates hands begin rubbing along her inner thigh. She spread her legs a bit wider to encourage him. "It can't be coincidental that the boy just happened to get a registration for this school, which just so happens to be in another dimension, especially when you consider the fact that it caters to monster in order to learn how to live amongst humans..."

"Meaning that very few of these students know how to live among humans so they don't live in the human world," Naruto finished with a nod. "I thought so too. Which means of course, that there are several possible theories on how that kid managed to get a hold of a Yokai Academy registration form." The blond held up his free hand and began ticking off possible theories he had come up with in the last few hours. "He _could _have simply gotten it by accident somehow, unlikely, but possible. The more plausible theory is that someone wanted him to come here, either the headmaster, one of his subordinates, or perhaps even someone whose working against him."

"It could also be someone that his family had wronged in the past," Kyuubi chimed. "Before the calendar changed. Perhaps the boys ancestors wronged one of the more powerful monsters in the world, or the ancestors of one."

"Possible, but also highly unlikely, even more so then the first theory." Naruto shook his head. "Why wait several thousand years to enact revenge now? No ones been able to use chakra for kami-knows-how-long, and the Miko lines that were capable of fighting off demons and monsters died out sometime during the Edo period."

Kyuubi frowned but conceded the point. "Ok, ok. Then that leaves theory two and it's three possibilities."

"Right; so, either we have the headmaster of this school or his subordination sending the application for Yokai Academy for this school to a human, or we have an enemy of the headmaster who somehow managed to land their hands on an application and sent it to the kid. Both are plausible, but only one is likely true."

"Likely?" Kyuubi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Naruto shrugged. "There is always the possibility that our thoughts are wrong and the problem is something else entirely." Kyuubi conceded his point with a nod and the blond continued. "Unfortunately we don't have any information on the headmaster of this school, and without that knowledge, we can't confirm any of our theories."

A sigh escaped Kyuubi's lips, she could see where this was going. "You want to stay here." It wasn't a question.

"Are you alright with that?" asked Naruto, frowning for a moment as he looked down at the close eyed face of his mate. "Since we couldn't forge an application due to the ambient Yokai in the form you'll have to stay in your fox form whenever we go outside. I know that can be... bothersome."

"It's fine," Kyuubi said with a sigh. She didn't really enjoy being in her fox form anymore, but for Naruto, she could and would deal with it for as long as he needed. "Still, I'm surprised you're so adamant about staying here. You've always done your best to avoid the world of Yokai. Why start getting involved now?"

"I guess I'm just curious," Naruto replied with a shrug. "It's been a while since I've dealt with monsters, long enough that they've apparently come up with an academy to teach monsters how to coexist with humans. Times seem to have changed, and perhaps... perhaps this is simply a sign of things to come. Maybe the goal of peaceful coexistence really is possible..."

At the strange tone in her mate's voice, Kyuubi's eyelids fluttered open so she could look at him. A few seconds later her eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about. "You still want to accomplish your sensei's dream!"

"I know it sounds foolish," Naruto said softly, closing his eyes as his mind was invaded by memories of a simpler time. "It seems like such an impossible task. Humans have enough trouble just getting along with each other; always fighting, hurting each other for their own benefit, killing. And Yokai are no different in that regard, what with all the different races. But still I..."

"I don't think it sounds foolish."

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at Kyuubi. She had a soft smile on her face as her hands enclosed upon his cheeks. She leaned up and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. In response, the blond pulled her closer and marveled at the feel of her lips against his, and the way her body seemed to conform to his own. Truly, there was nothing in this world that could feel better then his mates silken lips caressing his own.

Well, there were some things, but those involved a much more rigorous activity then kissing.

When they broke apart, Kyuubi pressed their heads together, her glowing carnelian orbs never leaving Naruto's cerulean ones.

"This is something you've always dreamed about. I know that you said you've given up on it, but this dream, the one that your sensei started is one you want with all your heart. I believe that if anyone can bring peace to this world, it's you."

"Kyuubi," Naruto whispered, before crushing his lips against hers. Kyuubi gasped as her breath was stolen from her, then moaned when a tongue slid through the crack between her teeth. By the time the clone Naruto had created came up to them carrying two steaming plates of medium rare steak and a side of asparagus, the pair were already in the process of robbing each other of their clothes.

Clone Naruto sighed. "It's going to be a while before they finish. I wonder, should I put their food in the fridge, or eat it myself?"

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>Akashiya Moka woke up at the start of the day the next morning with a large smile on her face. As she began preparing for school, she hummed a tune to herself, the happiness she felt spilling over into her work and humming.<p>

Yesterday had been amazing. She had made her first friend. Ever.

And to think all it had taken was for her to crash into him with her bike.

Moka sighed as she thought about her new friend, he was so kind and caring, and he didn't even care that she was a vampire. She had been so worried about going to this new school. Her mind had kept asking questions that she hadn't known the answer to. Would she make any friends there? Would anybody like her? She had been so preoccupied with her terrifying thoughts that she had even forgotten to eat from one of her blood transfusion packs.

Which was actually the reason she had crashed into Naruto, come to think of it.

Huh. Maybe it had been fortunate that she had been worrying so much.

But now she had nothing to worry about, because she had a friend. And so, with a smile on her face and a skip in her step, Akashiya Moka left her dorm room and headed out to find her new friend.

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>"She's so beautiful!"<p>

Moka-san! Please marry me!"

"Be mine!"

Naruto rolled his eyes as he listened to all of the... people, surrounding Moka. It had been like that the minute she walked out of her dorm. Heads turned, eyes widened, blushes spread... and a good number of boys began drooling like dogs in heat. Fanboys truly were the bane of everyone's existence.

So were fangirls, for that matter.

"Ooh! Naruto-kun, Naruto-kun!"

"How do you like the school so far, Naruto-kun?"

"Will you escort me to my class?"

"Will you escort me to _your_ bed?"

Naruto sighed as he walked through the horde of fan girls surrounding him. It was difficult, almost like wading through a lake of mud. The girls crowded around him, jabbering away and asking questions that he had no desire to answer. Like any of these girls could ever be considered his type, even _if_ he had a type. And there was no way in hell he was even telling these girls what kind of underwear he had on – orange ramen themed boxers of course! – much less show them.

Ugh, what did he do to deserve this?

_'It must be Karma,'_ Naruto lamented. _'It's because I made fun of Sasuke-teme for not doing anything with 'his' fangirls, isn't it?' _If this was what his former teammate had to deal with in his youth then it was no wonder he always scowled so much whenever a female spoke to him.

**'It's definitely karma,'** Kyuubi supplied in amusement. **'But I think it has more to do with how you act. It's because you tend to flirt so much with the girl or girls you end up falling for that Kami-sama has decided to give you fangirls in order to balance out your own nature. It's the cosmic balance of all things at work.'**

Naruto's right eye began to twitch. _'Hush you.'_

"Scuze me. Coming through."

Naruto shoved his way through the crowd of girls, and was quick to notice that Moka had managed to get through her fanboys. She was lucky enough that most were too busy drooling from a distance to truly be a problem, she had a much easier time of it, he was almost jealous.

When he managed to get past his crowd of... admirers, he waved to get Moka's attention.

"Moka-chan!"

"Naruto-kun!"

The rosette pounced on the blond the moment she saw him, and Naruto realized that, yes, his thoughts yesterday about whether or not the 'Akashiya Moka special' would be his typical greeting with the girl were correct. Not that he minded, because really, who would be bothered by having someone who was quite possibly the cutest girl in existence pressing themselves against you?

Not Uzumaki Naruto that's for sure.

"Good morning, Moka-chan," Naruto greeted the moment said girl took a step back from him after giving him a life squeezing hug. Life squeezing in that it squeezed the life from you.

"Morning, Naruto-kun!" Moka replied cheerfully, then she noticed Kyuubi laying on his head. "Kyuu-chan." The fox cracked a red eye open at her, then seemed to nod before closing her eyes again.

"That's Kyuu-chan's way of saying hi."

"Ah, right!" The rosette smiled, then grabbed his hand and quickly began pulling him as she started to walk. "Let's get to class! I don't want to be late on our first real day of school!" Naruto laughed, but didn't make Moka desist in her actions as he began moving under his own two feet instead of being dragged by the girl.

They walked hand in hand through the crowd of irritated and downright angry boys and girls as they leaked killing intent by the buckets loads. Naruto looked at the many glares being sent his way, and decided to do the mature thing... pulling down the eyelid of his right eye with his free hand and sticking his tongue out.

Yes, Naruto's maturity knows no bounds.

"Say, Moka-chan," Naruto said suddenly as a thought occurred to him.

"Yes?" Mocha looked over at him with an excited smile, their conjoined hands swinging back and forth between them. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering, you said this is your first year here, right?" At Moka's curious nod, the blond asked, "so where did you go before this? I mean, do they have a Junior High Yokai Academy or something?"

Naruto didn't even realize Moka had stopped walking until her hand slipped from his fingers. Stopping, the blond turned around to see Moka standing where she had stopped, her face tilted towards the ground, bangs casting shadows over the upper half of her face and covering her eyes, leaving only the frown on her lips visible. Absently, he noticed they were trembling.

"Mocha?"

"Before this?" Moka asked in a soft voice, a tremor in it that he had not heard from her yet. It was slightly worrying, but he wasn't given a chance to ponder it's significance as she continued. "Before this I... I went to a human school."

"Eh?" Naruto blinked. "What's so wrong with that?" Sure, it was a tad surprising, he would have never guessed she had gone to a human school. But the way she had said that made it sound like there was something terrible about it. Granted, he had never wanted to go to school, but that was because he just didn't see the point. Why go to school when you were filthy rich?

"I... I hated it there, I hated it so much." Naruto frowned, but said nothing as the girl continued. "I attended human schools all the way up through junior high. I always felt so different, no one there believed in monsters, and so I was always alone. I hated it so much, and I hate the humans who treated me like I was some kind of freak for thinking I was a vampire."

"You must have been lonely, huh?" Moka looked up to see Naruto staring at her with compassionate blue orbs. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw unshed tears in them. "To be treated differently because of what you are, because of something you have no control over. It must have been hell on earth. To have so many people look at you like you were different, to stare at you with accusing eyes. When all you ever wanted was a friend, right?"

"Y... yes," Moka said, stunned at how thoroughly the blond analyzed her feelings. It was like he knew exactly how she was feeling.

"Heh, I know the feeling."

There you go.

Now Moka knew she had found the right person to be her friend. How many people could claim to understand how she felt? How many knew what it was like to be isolated? To be surrounding by people yet still feel so alone? To be different? Misjudged. How many could ever claim to understand what that felt like.

She ran towards the blond.

"Oh, Naruto I –"

"Hold on Moka." Naruto held up a hand, stopping the girl from jumping him. She looked at him, confused to see such a serious expression on his face. "I said I understand, but there are things about me that you have yet to understand, things I haven't told you yet."

Moka's confusion only increased, Naruto noticed, but continued on regardless.

"You say that you hate humans because of how they treated you when you were younger." Moka nodded, her face making it obvious that she was still trying to find out where he was going with this. "Well, what if I told you that your first friend just so happens to be human?"

Moka froze.

"What?"

He couldn't be saying what she thought he was saying. Could he?

"I'm human, Moka."

No. It couldn't be possible.

"B-But," Moka stuttered, trying to find some grasp on reality. There was no way Naruto could be a human, could there? "But what about all those things you did? That log switching thing? Or that incredible strength when you kicked Saizou?"

"You make it sound like humans are weak," Naruto said with a frown, then shook his head. "I can assure you that humans are far from the frail beings you Yokai make them out to be. Anyone can learn to do what I did with the proper training." That was stretching it slightly. Humans could become much stronger physically through training, it would require a lot of training for them to be capable of what he did to Saizou without the use of chakra, but it was possible. Replacing oneself with a log however, would require centuries of selective breeding to allow humans to regain their ability to use chakra. But that was neither here nor there.

"No..."

Naruto looked at Moka as she backed away from him, her eyes wide and disbelieving.

"No..."

"Moka." Naruto took a step forward, his left hand stretched out towards her, only to stop when Moka flinched. He let his hand fall back to his side.

"I see."

Naruto took a step back.

"I guess, you really do hate humans."

Moka looked back towards Naruto, her eyes widening when she saw him take another step backwards.

"I want you to know, Moka, that even if you hate humans, I'll always be your friend. Nothing will change that."

And then he was gone. Moka stared, wide eyed at the spot the blond had just vanished from. Tears soon began pouring out of her eyes, streaming down her cheeks.

"Naruto..."

She couldn't believe it, she had just turned away her first friend. And for what? Because he was a human? Hadn't he accepted her even though she was a vampire? He had accepted her and yet she couldn't do the same for her friend.

"Naruto."

Why? Why did she have to be so stupid?

"Naruto!"

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>"How odd," Naruto said to himself, his tone idle, conversational even, as he wiped away the few stray tears that had managed to escape his eyes. "I didn't expect that to hurt so much. You'd figure after so many years I would be used to rejection. I wonder why it still hurts so much?"<p>

He was sitting on one of the many dead trees within the area, on a branch that was twice as wide as him. There was no sun, so Naruto couldn't tell the time, but he imagined it was still fairly early. Class would be starting soon.

"I wonder if Moka's gotten to class yet?"

"**You're an idiot."**

Naruto felt a weight settle in his lap and looked down to see Kyuubi giving him a mild look of reproach.

"Kyuubi?"

"**Honestly, Naruto-kun, how someone like you seems to still be incapable of understanding what's in a girls heart is beyond me. You can get almost any girl to fall in love with you, and yet when presented with the first sign of rejection you run away."**

Naruto scowled. "I'm not running away."

"**Oh? Then what are you doing?"**

Naruto said nothing for the longest time, and Kyuubi was about to take that as her sign of victory when the blond spoke. "You saw the look on her face, Kyuu, same as I did. She was afraid of me. The moment she learned I was a human she was terrified beyond belief. What was I supposed to do? Chase after her when she ran from me? I can't do that."

Even though she was in her fox form, the frown on Kyuubi's face was easily visible. **"Then what will you do?"**

"I'll wait."

Though her facial structure hadn't changed, Naruto could imagine that Kyuubi was raising an eyebrow, no doubt confused by his words. So he decided to elaborate.

"I don't think she hates humans," he said, frowning as he tried to grasp the right words. "I think... I think she was just so lonely that she needed an outlet to blame it on. She went to a human school, and thus, felt that it must be the humans fault she was alone for so much of her life. Maybe that's true, maybe it isn't. It doesn't really matter. The point is, because of it, Mocha believes that she hates humans."

"**But she doesn't?"**

"Exactly, she doesn't. And I'm sure she'll see that if I just give her some space. If she doesn't come back to me tomorrow, then I'll go to her and we'll sort this out, and if that doesn't work... well, I suppose I'll just have to wait until she's ready to talk."

Kyuubi was silent for a moment, silently contemplating his words. Eventually she shook her head and let out an amused snort. **"That's... actually a really good idea. I guess even you had to grow a brain sometime."**

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kyuubi chuckled. **"Nothing dear."**

Naruto scowled playfully, and opened his mouth to emit a witty retort –

"AAHHH!"

– When the sound of a very familiar scream caused Naruto's eyes to widen.

"That was Moka!"

Faster than a speeding bullet, the blond Uzumaki took off. Kyuubi watched as Naruto hopped from the tree branch, hitting the closest one next to him and using it as a springboard to launch himself to another one twice as fast as he headed towards the source of the voice. Pretty soon he disappeared into the distance, leaving her alone.

She sighed.

"**And off he goes to rescue the Princess. I'd better get some prime entertainment out of this or he's sleeping on the couch."**

* * *

><p><strong>~Rosario+Naruto~<strong>

* * *

><p>Moka couldn't believe it. Sitting there on her hands and knees she continued staring at the spot Naruto had left with a look of immense regret and sadness. It felt as if someone had just ripped her heart out of her chest. She had never felt this bad in her entire life. Even when she had been all alone going to those human schools the pain she felt then was a pittance compared to this.<p>

That look he had given her at the end, how could someone's face show so much pain and understanding at the same time?

"Ho... How could I have been so horrible to him?"

He had accept her, he hadn't cared that she was a vampire, even after she had told him about the Rosario it still hadn't mattered to him. Yet he tells her that he's a human and what does she do? Turns away from him.

"What kind of friend am I?"

Moka's tears began soaking the ground beneath her feet as she silently cried. She couldn't help but hate herself for how she treated her first friend. She would give anything for the chance to just go back in time by a few minutes where she rejected Naruto and change the past, to let him know that she accepted him even if he was human, just as he accepted her.

"Hey there pretty thing."

Moka's eyes widened, her head snapping towards the source of the voice. She knew that voice, had heard just yesterday and knew him being here couldn't be anything good. "What are you doing out here all alone? Did you ditch that loser boyfriend of yours?"

"Saizou!" She gasped as said boy casually walked out from behind a tree. It was only after he had taken several more steps towards her that she caught his last words.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Naruto-kun isn't a loser!"

"Ooh, such a scary look," Saizou said with savage grin. "Even when your glaring at me your still beautiful." Saizou's body began to bulge. "Ugh... just imagining what I'm going to do to you makes it hard... so hard to control **myself!"**

Moka gasped as Saizou began to change in front of her. His body bulged, the muscles tearing his shirt. Skin went from dark brown to an ugly, leathery yellow. Spiky outcroppings appeared on the junction between his shoulder blades and neck, creating a moon like ring around him, which was connected at the front with a bony protrusion that acted as a collar bone, connecting the ring of spikes before moving down the center of his chest. There were another two spikes located on either shoulder, his elbow joints, and his knee caps, making his large muscles look like some kind dark, medieval plate of armor. Darker brown skin outlined the projection of his muscles around his arms and torso. His feet were likewise bony, with spiked toes that cut deep grooves in the ground. Sharp, shark-like teeth protruded from his jaw, followed by a long, pink tongue that hung from his mouth, saliva dripping off of it as it moved from side to side like the tail of a dog.

"An orc!?"

"**Hahaha! That's right! I'm an orc, and you... are mine!"**

Saizou's tongue lashed out far faster then Moka would have thought possible. It came at her, smacked her, and with a loud cry, Moka flew backwards and crashed into a tree.

"**Hehehe, that's it! Cry! Scream! No one will be coming to save you! You're all mine!"**

Moka struggled to get up, tears forming in her eyes. As Saizou's tongue elongated once again, all she could think about was her friend, and how she wished she hadn't turned him away.

"**Here it comes!"**

Saizou's tongue shot towards her, intent on breaking her by doing god-knows-what. Moka's eyes remained unchanged from their watery orbs as she watched the fleshy appendage coming ever closer. Perhaps this was her punishment for turning away the only person who had befriended her despite her status as a vampire.

A figure appeared in front of her.

A figure with a head of very familiar spiky blond hair. He was standing just a little off to her right side, his stance casual leaning on bored. His right hand was outstretched, grasping the wriggling, pink appendage that had been just about to hit her.

"**What the hell!?"**

Her already wide eyes widened even more as the figure in front of her spoke in an oh so familiar voice. "I've heard of not being able to keep ones hands to themselves, but this is just ridiculous... and disgusting. We don't even know where this things been."

**Bastard! Let go of my tongue!"**

"Oh don't worry, I will. I don't want to be holding something so abhorrent any longer then necessary."

"N-Naruto-kun?" Moka said in shaky disbelief. It couldn't be him, could it? He had left. Gone. She had watched, helpless as he disappeared from her life.

But it was, Naruto turned his head, those familiar blue orbs looking at her with amusement. There was a smile on his lips as he said, "hold on for just a sec, Moka-chan. I've got some trash to take out."

With a hard tug, Naruto yanked on the tongue, the end result being Saizou getting pulled off his feet and soaring through the air towards the blond, screaming his lungs out. Grinning, Naruto dashed forward. His feet kicking off the ground, he spun around with his left foot extended.

"Konoha Dai Senpū!"

There was a loud _'bang!'_ as Naruto's foot smacked against Saizou's face, creating a powerful shock wave that sent the orc flying backwards and crashing into several trees that were not just felled but utterly destroyed by the force with which the monster hit them.

Naruto landed back on the ground, a content sigh escaping his lips as he clapped his hands together as if to get the dust off them. "Not a bad hit, if I do say so myself."

"N-Naruto... kun?"

Naruto turned as Moka pushed herself off the ground. She used the tree for support as he walked over to her. He stopped just a few feet shy of her, something Moka did not fail to notice.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern in his voice as blue eyes looked her over. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Moka shook her head, even as tears began blurring her vision.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Naruto-kun, I'm so –"

She was halted mid sentence. A single finger pressed against her lip.

Moka blinked when she saw blue eyes right in front of her. She hadn't even seen him move.

"It's alright," Naruto said softly. "You did nothing that warrants an apology."

"But I –"

"I understand how you feel about humans, Moka-chan," Naruto said, interrupting the girl before she could apologize. "And truthfully, I can't blame you for not liking humans after what they put you through in school. And while I hope you won't judge me based on your preconceived notions of humanity as a whole, I won't blame nor hate you if you do."

"I... I don't care if you're a human," Moka cried, pink strands of hair whipping about her face as she shook her head as she shook it back and forth. "It doesn't matter whether you're human or not. The truth is, back at my old school, all I ever wanted was a friend. I didn't care if they were a human or a monster, I just wanted someone who wanted to be with me so that I wouldn't have to be alone anymore."

"Silly girl," Naruto said with a smile. Moka looked up as the blond placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "You already have a friend." Taking his left hand off her shoulder he hooked a thumb in his direction, pointing at his own grinning face. "He's this guy right here."

Moka didn't bother to choke back a sob of relief as she smiled through tear filled eyes. She flung herself at him, arms around his neck and face buried in his chest as she cried in joy, all the while mumbling 'thank you' under her breath as a repeated mantra. Naruto just held her, placing his chin on the crown of her head as his own arms went securely around the rosette. He didn't say anything, but then, no words were really needed.

The beautiful moment was soon ruined, however, when a loud crash followed by a roar of anger came from across the clearing.

"**YOU LITTLE BASTARD! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"**

"Ugh... not this guy again," Naruto muttered in annoyance, a tic mark forming on his head. The blond looked over to see Saizou lumbering out of the wood works, cuts and bruises all over his body, the worst being his face where a large black lump stood out on his right cheek, a testament to the amount of power Naruto put into his kick.

Naruto withdrew his hold on Moka, pulling her arms off him and holding them in his hands for a moment.

"Moka, I want you to stand back while I take care of tall, dark and ugly over there, ok?"

Moka looked at him unsurely. She had seen how strong he was, but at the same time Naruto was still a human. Could a human really defeat a monster?

"Hey, hey, none of that now." Naruto placed a hand under her chin and lifted her head up so they were looking each other in the eye. "Don't doubt me. When I say I'm going to do something, whether that's as menial as beating the crap out of this guy or kissing you until your toes curl, then you can be damn sure I'm going to do it."

Moka's face turned beat red at his words. Truth be told, as soon as he got to 'kiss you until your toes curl' everything else had been lost on her, thoughts on what it would be like if they did kiss plaguing her mind.

"Moka-chan."

Her thoughts were shaken away when two calloused yet warm hands cupped her face. Emerald green eyes met the most brilliant of blue as Naruto offered her a smile.

"Believe in me."

Moka, her cheeks still slightly red, nodded and smiled. "I do believe in you."

"Good. Then you may want to find some place safe to stand while I kick the ass of the lumbering pile of crap."

With that said, Naruto turned around and watched as Saizou ran towards him. Moka did as told, running off to the sideline near a thick tree. She watched as the blond stood there, his stance casual, hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world, it was as if he were not about to engage in mortal combat with an orc.

"**DIE SCUM!"**

Saizou brought his hand down on top of Naruto. Moka wanted to scream as she watched her friend stand there without doing a thing, but her voice was stuck in her throat. Tears began to well up in her eyes as the hand struck –

– only to blink when Naruto disappeared within a puff of smoke and wood splinters exploded from it. The smoke soon cleared, revealing Saizou's hand was not crushing Naruto at all, but a log that had taken his place.

"**What the hell is this!?" **Saizou roared, confused and angry. **"Where the hell do these logs kwwp coming from!?"**

"Very few know where the log truly comes from." Saizou, along with Moka, turned to see Naruto standing on top of a tree branch, hands clasped in prayer and his head bowed reverently. "However, all those who know of the log know this. As the log takes your place, you become the log. The log becomes you. For a moment, you are an extension of the logs blessing unto ninja."

_'Score one for the log pope, baby!'_

**'Honestly, Naruto-kun... don't you ever get tired of playing the fool?'**

_'Of course not! I'd rather be a fool and have fun, then act like some stiff old man with butt loads of wisdom that can be crapped out on a whim.'_

**'My... how eloquently spoken.'**

_'I do try.'_

Moka and Saizou stared at the blond with expressions of adorable confusion (Moka), and blank stupidity (Saizou) for several long seconds.

"**I don't know what the fuck that's supposed to mean! But I don't care!" **Saizou shouted as he began running towards the tree Naruto was on. **"Get down here so I can kill you!"**

Saizou made a swipe at the tree, destroying the trunk and causing the upper half of the tree to fall down. Naruto kicked off the branch he was on, flipping around, and landed on his feet several meters away from Saizou. He then ducked under a swipe from a massive clawed hand, rolled along the ground as another hand gouged chunks out of the gravel he had been standing on, then sidestepped another attack that came from above and crashed into the earth with a loud '_boom_!'.

"**Hold still you little shit!"**

"You know... considering the general coloration of your skin is shit colored, I don't think you really have the right to call me that."

"**I'M GONNA FUCKING MURDER YOU!"**

"Haa... I swear, you have no originality. What kind of an insult is that? You my friend, need to work on your evil villain banter... have you ever thought of getting the super villains handbook?"

"**RAAAAAGHHH!"**

"And now you're just screaming incoherently."

Moka watched in absolute shock as Naruto dominated the battle field. Sort of. He didn't attack Saizou at all, in fact, his hands were still in his pocket where they had been from the start with the exception of his strange log prayer. However, while the blond had yet to even try landing another blow on the orc like the one when he had kicked Saizou in the face, he was doing a fine job of frustrating the monster by dodging all of his attacks with an ease that was so casual it didn't look like he was even attempting to dodge, and the swings just happened to miss. The fact that the blond kept taunting his opponent only further served to increase Saizou's anger and rage.

"You have the shittiest aim I have ever seen."

"Ne, how many orcs does it take to kill an Uzumaki? I'm not sure, but it's clear that one Komiya Saizou is certainly not up to the job."

"Do you always suck this much, or are you just having an off day?"

"Ha... I'm actually beginning to get kind of bored here... how about you?"

It was almost amusing to see the way Saizou was literally frothing at the mouth as the object of his hatred continually evaded all his attempts at hitting him. If Moka were not in such a state of shock and disbelief, she might have even giggled.

Another loud roar from Saizou showed that he had once again attacked a log that had taken the place of his elusive opponent. Saizou looked around, his eyes wide with madness and rage. He stared wildly, his head and body swiveling around as he tried to find the blond that had disappeared on him.

"**Come out and fight me like a man, coward!"**

"Che, you attack a defenseless girl and you call me a coward. How hypocritical is that?"

It was clear that by this point, Saizou was no longer listening to Naruto speak, so far gone into madness was he that the monster likely no longer even registered the blond boys words.

* * *

><p>Saizou was pissed, beyond pissed. Everything was going wrong and he had no clue how to make it right. His plan had been simple; wait until the girl was alone, ambush and capture her, and then take his time breaking her. After that, he would have presented the girls corpse to the blond shit who thought he was Saizou's better, and when the boy was grieving, Saizou would kill him too.<p>

The first part had been much easier then anticipated, all he'd had to do was follow from a distance and wait; the two had gotten into an argument of some kind – he was too far away to here what it was about – and the blond left. That had been his chance, and he had taken it, enjoying the way the girl had looked at him in fear. Oh yes, he knew he was going to enjoy breaking her at that point. He had been planning on taking it slow to better savor the moment.

But then that little shit had to ruin everything. He had not only hurt him, but was now humiliating him by constantly dodging his attacks and taunting him. Worse still, every time Saizou _thought _he had the blond, that damn log would appear in his place.

How did the pest even get that log here anyways? There weren't any logs randomly on hand for the blond to use.

"**You little fucker! I'm going to kill you! And then I'm going to kill your bitch!" **Saizou shouted, his voice almost horse from all of the screaming he had done up to this point. His eyes tore around the clearing wildly, looking for a glimpse of blond that would point him in the right direction.

Instead of blond he saw a flash of pink.

There she was, Akashiya Moka. She was standing there by a tree, not even a meter away from him, her hand lightly touching the trunk and her expression displaying surprise. At seeing the girl he had originally come here for, an idea took shape in his mind. A delicious, beautiful idea.

A cruel smirk crossed his face.

With a roar, Saizou charged Moka, his arm reared back to strike her down.

If he couldn't get the blond bastard, then he would at least kill the next best thing.

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Saizou charge towards Moka. He cursed himself for being so stupid. He had been having so much fun taunting and playing with his opponent that he had left what was probably his one weakness vulnerable for the monster to use, though Naruto would admit he had not thought Saizou would be smart enough to use it.<p>

His precious person.

Without thinking, the blond dashed from his hiding spot and rushed towards Moka. He could only hope that he made it in time.

* * *

><p>Moka's eyes widened as she saw Saizou charge her. Her mind screamed at her to move, but her body stood rooted to the spot. Fear coursed through her veins as she found herself unable to look away from the stampeding orc. He was coming closer, arm raised to swat her like one would swat a fly. His arm came down and Mocha closed her eyes, unable to look at the impending form of her death.<p>

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she knew that Naruto would not be able to save her this time.

Rather then the feel of a giant clawed hand smacking her with bone shattering force, Moka found herself being shoved to the ground. Startled, she looked up, and her eyes widened upon seeing a head of blond hair right before Naruto was hit by the giant clawed hand and sent flying.

* * *

><p>"<strong>I hit him..."<strong>

Saizou stared at his hands in shock.

"**I-I hit him..."**

For some reason, this surprised him greatly. Perhaps it was because he had not landed a hit on the blond bastard since the fight started, but he had not expected to hit the pest. At least, not before crushing Moka under his palm.

"**I hit him."**

A smile made it's way to his face, as if finally coming to terms with what had just happened.

"**Yes! I hit him! How does it feel you little shit!? How does it feel to be crushed under the power of one who is far superior to you!?"**

Ah, he had never felt so good in his life. For some reason, the immense satisfaction he felt at finally taking out that pesky blond brought a euphoria he had never experienced before. It was incredible, indescribable, better then anything else he had felt before.

It almost as good as the feeling he got after raping a particular feisty female.

"NARUTO!"

Saizou watched as the rosette ran into the forest, following the path of destruction that the blonds forced flight left in it's wake.

A cruel smile made it's way to his face.

Now he just had to break the girl, then... then his revenge against the blond for humiliating him would be complete.

* * *

><p><strong>'You got careless.'<strong>

Naruto sighed from where he lay on the ground, staring up at the sky. He had to admit, that punch actually stung a little, in the way a bee sting stings a little. If he were honest, crashing through the sixteen trees he had destroyed after being punched hurt worse then the punch itself. Still, he would admit to being surprised at the strength the Orc displayed. A normal human would have most certainly been killed.

_'I know.'_

**'It's not like you to be so careless... or arrogant.'**

Naruto winced at the jab. _'Ugh... don't remind me. I can't believe I got so caught up in taunting that idiot that I actually forgot about Moka-chan.' _A mirthless chuckle escaped his lips. _'Some friend I am, huh?'_

**'It can't be helped. It's not like you've had any real companionship for a while.'**

_'I have you.'_

**'You and I both know that I don't count. I've been with you since you were born. With how close we've grown, the two of us are practically one person by now.'**

_'Well then, I have the hottest alter ego I have ever met.'_

**'Cute, Naruto-kun. At least that hit doesn't seem to have effected your wit.'**

"Naruto-kun!"

Naruto would have responded to his mate's words with an equally witty retort, but the cry from outside of his mind caught his attention. A second later, the blond felt his head being lifted onto something soft, a lap, he realized. Looking up as water splashed against his face, Naruto saw Moka's face, tears running down her cheeks, hovering over him.

"Hey, Moka-chan," Naruto said with a grin. It was short lived once he realized that Mocha was not listening, her mind seemingly in shock.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried, her entire body beginning to tremble. Her shaky hands reached out and began stroking and caressing his hair. It felt rather nice, too bad Naruto was too busy feeling guilty to enjoy it. Now he felt even worse than he had before. Not only had he left Moka vulnerable, but he was the reason for her tears. "This is all my fault! If only I hadn't been so stupid back when you told me you were a human! If only I had just accepted you back there than this wouldn't have happened! I'm so, so sorry, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto sighed. Really, this girl was being so dramatic.

Lifting a hand, Naruto cupped the girls left cheek, his thumb gently wiping away the tears under her eyes.

"Hey now," he said in a bright voice that was in complete contradiction to the near hysterical one of the rosette whose lap his head was laying in. "There's no need for tears, they don't suit you. I would much rather see you smile."

"How..." Mocha choked on her words for a moment. "How can you act so calm at a time like this? You just got punched through several trees, and yet you're acting as if nothing happened."

"Meh, it's a gift. Besides, that guys got the weakest right hook I've ever felt. My baa-chan hit harder then him." Never had a statement been more true, just thinking about Tsunade's super punches and powerful finger flicks was enough to send shivers down Naruto's spine. That woman had been capable of punching a hole through a mountain. Compared to her, Saizou's hits felt like mosquito bites.

Moka made an odd face at that statement, as if she were unsure whether or not she believed it. "Naruto-kun, you..."

"**Would you look at this, what a touching scene." **Naruto 'tsked' at the annoying voice while Mocha turned wide eyes towards the tree line. Saizou walked out, his large, clawed feet creating deep scratches in the earth. He was giving them a look of disgust as he spoke. **"Just looking at you two makes me want to puke!"**

"I hate people like him," Naruto mumbled, more to himself than anyone else, though Moka still heard him. "They always feel the need to shove their foot into their mouth and ruin the moment."

Naruto tried to get back up, but soon found his ability hampered by Mocha who was still holding onto him tightly.

"Ne, Moka-chan," Naruto started, getting the rosette to look at him. "Would you mind letting me go so I can finish knocking that prick Saizou on his ass?" This time he wouldn't play around. He was still cursing himself for getting so cocky during the battle. Even a genin can kill a kage if they get lucky enough, and he had presented a large number of opportunities for Saizou to exploit. That the monster hadn't until the very end just went to show how stupid he was, but not every monster he came across would be like that. He would need to be prepared.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Moka didn't look particularly enamored with the idea of letting him go. "What if you end up getting hurt again? I don't think... I don't think I could bare to see my friend getting hurt again."

"Hey now," Naruto placed a hand on Moka's cheek, silencing her. He offered the girl a compassionate smile. "I'll be fine, that kids last punch didn't even hurt that badly." The rosette still looked like she was on the fence, causing Naruto to sigh and say, "if we do nothing, then he's just gonna hurt us both anyways. Didn't you say you believe in me?"

Moka still looked concerned, but seemed to concede the point with a sigh. "Ok, I don't like it but I – I'll believe in you."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks, Moka-chan."

"**Don't ignore me!" **

Oh right. He was still there, Naruto had almost forgotten about him. Sliding his hand down the flawless skin of Moka's face, the blond prepared to push himself back to his feet and finish off the orc.

**CHINK!**

"Eh?" Naruto blinked as he held up his hand and saw the Rosario that had once been resting on Moka's neck in his hands. "Um, whoops."

Moka was just shocked. "My Rosario..." Barely even a second after she had said that, the rosette's entire body was bathed in unholy red glow.

The ground began to tremble and shake.

Naruto could only stare at where Moka had been, looking on in surprise at the amount of power the girl was outputting. While he couldn't actually see what was happening, he could feel the amount of Yokai the girl was unleashing. He had to admit, as a display of power it was quite impressive.

The ground underneath Naruto's feet began to split from the pressure, and Naruto was forced to jump back lest he fall over. As his eyes began to adjust to the light, he was finally able to see what was happening to Moka.

The girls all around physical appearance had changed, not drastically, but enough that it was more then noticeable. Her hair, once vibrant and pink, had taken on a pale silvery shade that held an effervescent shine as the light reflected off it. Her chest had become fuller, and her hips more pronounced, which was saying something considering she already had an extremely attractive figure. Even her face had changed a little, going from the soft look of youth to more mature and regal features. Long fangs protruded from her mouth. And when Moka opened her eyes again, gone were the emerald orbs that shone with innocence, and in their place were a pair of blood red irises with black slits running down the center to act as pupils.

Gone was the girl he had first met, and in her place was a vampire, with all that entailed.

Naruto had to admit, while this Moka had a haughty arrogance about her, she was smoking hot. Easily a fifteen on his hot-o-meter.

**"Incredible! Those crimson eyes, that silver hair and the incredible demonic aura!"** shouted Saizou who lumbered up and growled deeply.** "I recognize that power anywhere, the power of an S class elite. A true vampire!" **

"Uzumaki Naruto," Moka's voice was different as well, the blond noted, deeper, and holding a huskier quality that exuded a natural sensuality. It was an impressive feat, one he thought only Kyuubi was capable of making. "I thank you for protecting my body, however, this is now my battle."

"Eh?" Naruto blinked, then frowned. "Sorry babe, but I'm not one to let others finish what I started."

Moka narrowed her eyes at the babe comment, but chose to ignore that for the moment as she said, "Saizou came after me, that means this is my battle."

"Mmm... tell you what," Naruto said with a smile. "While I'm not up to letting you take my battle after I started fighting, I am willing to let you finish. I'll set him up, and you can finish him off. Deal?"

Moka looked amused by his bargaining, amused and intrigued. "Very well," she said, flipping her hair behind her back. "Show me what you can do when you're serious, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto scoffed as he looked back over at Saizou – who was still trembling at Moka's power. "If I got serious this guy would be nothing but a bloody smear on the ground." He then cupped his hand and shouted, "Oi, fucker! You're not thinking of backing down, are you?"

That seemed to snap Saizou out of his fear. He growled as he heard the voice of his hated enemy.

"**Fuck you, Uzumaki! I don't care if that bitch is a vampire or not! I'll still kill both of you!"**

Saizou charged towards Naruto, intent on pounding the blond into a bloody smear beneath his feat.

"Haa... still lacking in original comebacks I see."

Naruto watched, unconcerned as the monster came towards him. He watched as a giant clawed hand was raised, and then as it came down towards him.

Naruto smiled.

And then he disappeared.

Before Saizou could even register what had happened, the Orc received a powerful and painful blow to the bottom of his chin. His jaws clacked shut with a loud _'crack!'_, and he could feel several teeth breaking under the powerful blow.

The force of the attack lifted him off the ground. Saizou found himself soaring several dozen feet above the air. As he managed to crack a pained eye open, the last thing he saw was Akashiya Moka, her foot descending on his head.

"Foolish Orc! Know your place!"

**BOOM!**

Naruto watched, visibly impressed as Moka's kick caused Saizou to plow into the ground with enough force to create a decently sized crater. _'That level of strength is pretty damn impressive... I'd say that, physically, she's about as strong as Tsunade-baachan.'_ Now there was a scary thought, just imagining that there might be someone else out there who was capable of finger flicking people threw walls was enough to send shivers down his spine.

Moka landed on the ground a few meters away from him. She flipped her hair back over her shoulder, and then began making her way to him. Naruto smiled as he watched her walk, taking a moment to enjoy the sensual sway of her hips. Was she doing that on purpose? Or did she just possess a natural sensuality that made her walk like that?

"I'd give your performance an eight out of ten." Moka stopped and tilted her head, curious. Seeing the confusion on her face, Naruto gestured to the large crater. "You packed quite a bit of power into that kick, but it lacked any true personal touches. And I don't count that catch phrase as a personal touch."

Moka snorted. "As opposed to how you played with him at the beginning of your fight? I think you had more then enough... _personal touches_ for the both of us."

"Ha... touche," Naruto admitted with a heavy sigh. "I guess I got a bit carried away, still..." he looked over at the crater and gave a pout. "He could have made the fight a bit more fun for me."

A smirk came over Moka's face as she watched the blond pout like a child. "You're definitely a curious one, Uzumaki Naruto." She walked closer to the blond as he turned to once more look at her. Her eyes appraised him with a gaze he had seen on only a few females before, not the fangirl stare that he was usually subjected to, but the kind of look where the woman was trying judge whether or not he was worthy of even being in her presence.

Kyuubi had given him that look often enough when they first met.

"Am I?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, a questioning smile on his lips. Moka's smirk widened.

"Yes, I have never seen someone with some of your... abilities. Super strength, yes, speed, yes, but that ability to switch places with a log is most unusual. I can tell you're human." By now Moka was standing right in front of him. Her hand reached out, fingers caressed his whiskered cheeks. "I can tell you're human by your scent alone."

"Does that bother you?"

Moka shook her head. "Not really. You are strong, even though you are human, and that's all that matters."

Naruto gave her a coy smile. "Coming from a vampire, that sounds almost like a proposition."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Uzumaki Naruto," Moka said, her eyes narrowing at the blond. "You may be strong, but you have a long way to go before I would even deign to consider you worthy of being with me."

_'Wow, arrogant much. She almost reminds me of how you used to be, Kyuubi-chan.'_

A snort was his response. **'I was nothing like this little girl. Don't try and draw comparisons between the two of us.'**

Naruto chuckled, but held it within the confines of his mind, lest Moka think he was laughing at her. He got the feeling she wouldn't be particularly amused.

"Still, I must thank you," Moka continued. "You not only protected my outer self from harm, but have been nothing but kind, gentle and protective over her. It is hard for me at times, my outer self is so much more emotional and fragile then I am, so I appreciate what you have done."

"Meh, we're friends," Naruto said with a shrug. "And I always protect my friends."

"Indeed."

A few seconds later, Moka plucked the Rosario Naruto was still carrying from his hands.

"Until we meet again, Uzumaki Naruto. Be sure to protect my other more sentimental self."

In one fluid motion Moka hooked the Rosario back onto her choker, and in a flash of light, her powers were suppressed once more. The reaction was immediate; her crimson eyes went back to emerald green, her silver hair once more became pink, and her womanly body lost some of it's curves, moving from the 'seductive young woman' category back to the 'girl next door' look. It wasn't much of a difference, but it was there. The smirk on her face was also replaced with a look of exhaustion, and before Naruto could get a word in, Moka collapsed into his arms.

Naruto lowered himself to the ground, taking Moka with him. He held her tightly with one arm, while his other gently stroked her sleeping face. He smiled when the girl seemed to sense his presence, her own lips curving in a smile as a soft, content sigh escaped her mouth.

_'So that's the other Moka,' _Naruto thought to himself. Meeting the 'inner' Moka had certainly been an experience. _'She certainly possessed all the traits and tell tale arrogance of a vampire, prideful, arrogant, haughty. Though her attitude was thankfully much more muted then most of them. Still...' _

A grin curved across Naruto's mouth.

_'She is going to be so fun to tease.'_

He gently lifted the now sealed Moka into his arms and began heading back towards the dorms.

"Rest now, Moka-chan. We're gonna have some interesting times ahead of us."

* * *

><p><strong>Another challenge for those who want to take it. I have no real requirements beyond one. The Pairing. This story is, obviously, a Narutoharem. The harem must at least contain Kyuubi, Moka, and Kokoa. Why? I don't know. I thought it would be interesting to see someone pair both sisters with one person and, well, Kyuubi is an obvious one isn't she? The harem can also contain any other females you deem fit to add. There is no limit to how big you can make it, so long as you don't allow your harem creating to detract from the plot.**

**PM if you want to accept this challenge.**

**Good luck.**


	11. NarutoHighschool DxD

**The Kitsune and the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess**

**Naruto/High School DxD Challenge**

* * *

><p>As the light from the sun streamed in through the small window covered by a set of blinds that only did a half assed job of actually keeping said sunlight from getting through, one blond haired, blue eyed young man groaned in discontent as his eyes flickered open very briefly. They shut immediately afterwords as the light hit them, which was followed by the covers of the bed rising up above the young man's head in an attempt to shut the sunlight out.<p>

Damn that sun. Couldn't it have picked a better time to rise? One of these days he was going to find some way to turn it off.

Or blow it up.

He would prefer blowing it up.

Grunting slightly, the blond male slowly sat up in bed, knowing it was useless to try and go back to sleep now that he was awake. Stifling a yawn with one hand, the blond absently used the other to scratch his stomach. He stretched, turning this way and that as he raised his hands into the air and listened to his back pop and crack in a way that would make most people cringe. Slowly but surely, Uzumaki Naruto got out of bed and made his way into the bathroom with a stumbling gait.

It was just another day of his new life.

After making his way towards the shower and turning on the water, Naruto ran a hand through his spiky locks of blond hair before turning to look at himself in the mirror.

At 17 years old, Naruto could say he was honestly pleased with what he saw. Back when he was younger, he had always been very short. Even after coming back from his 3 year training trip, he had only grown a bit. In the past few months, he had finally managed to grow to an above average height for someone his age. Sure, he was no Kakashi or Jiraiya, but he was taller than his old man had been. That had to count for something.

Absently, Naruto raised both his hands and pressed them together to make a strange seal with his fingers. It looked like a cross. He focused for a moment, his eyes staring intently at his stomach. After a second or two, he sighed and let his hands drop to his side.

"Still nothing..."

The shower began to steam and Naruto stepped in, groaning as the heat caused the aching muscles in his back and shoulders to loosen. He pressed his palms against the wall of the shower and let the hot liquid run down his frame and mat his hair to his head.

After his shower, the blond was finally awake and capable of getting ready for the day. This consisted of him getting dressed in the uniform of his school; a black blazer over a white, long-sleeved shirt with black highlights and a black ribbon on the collar and matching black pants. The rest of his outfit was actually much different from the standard academy uniform, an orange short sleeve shirt underneath his dress shirt and orange and black sneakers. They were still considered acceptable within the school standards, though the Principle had frowned upon seeing his choice in color.

Not that he cared. If that man didn't understand the greatness of orange, that was his problem.

Once he was dressed and his stomach was full from a hearty breakfast, the blond had locked the door to his apartment and was ready to start his day with a grin.

* * *

><p><strong>~KatCHRP~<strong>

* * *

><p>That grin lasted until he arrived at school, after which his right eye began twitching as he remembered something very important that he had forgotten.<p>

That being the fact that he was actually going to school... again. What's worse was this was a normal high school. He hated school on the best of days, but at least back then he was learning how to be a kick ass ninja. All the crap they were trying to shove down the throats of the young here was just useless.

What good was algebra and science going to do anyone who didn't plan on being a nerdy science geek anyways?

The school he was going to was called Kuoh Academy. Naruto heard tell that at one point it had been an all-girls school, but had changed to coed sometime before he had arrived in Japan.

The academy was actually a very beautiful building. Naruto could admit that much at least. It was large, really large, consisted of several buildings with the main one being a long, rectangular building that was four stories tall with a slanted roof, reddish brown tiles and built like some kind of traditional European Mansion.

At least, he thought it was a European Mansion. His knowledge on the history of this world was incredibly sketchy, meaning nearly nonexistent. Still, it was a very nice looking building and he supposed that's what mattered.

Still... he really didn't see why he had to go to school. It wasn't like learning all this crap was going to help him, and he had no intention of getting a higher education or whatever. Honestly, why he let that strange man talk him into coming here was so far beyond him at the moment it wasn't even worth thinking about.

Ignoring the many people who were staring and pointing at him ― being a trouble maker in his youth and someone who was used to being hated and glared at meant it was pretty easy for him to do this ― the new blond student made his way towards his first class of the day.

* * *

><p><strong>~KatCHRP~<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto had never been so glad to hear a bell ring.<p>

No. Scratch that. He had been just as glad to hear the bell ring yesterday that he did today. As well as the day before that and the day before that...

….

Okay, so maybe it had been like this since he started school. He didn't think anyone would blame him for loving the sound of that bell. As far as he was concerned, it was a sound that represented freedom. Even if that freedom was only until lunch period ended.

Still, it was a freedom that he would cherish until the next class, however short that freedom may be.

And it allowed him to explore the school. Even though he had been here for a while, Naruto still had trouble finding his way around the school, so he always used the opportunity lunch represented to learn the lay of the land, so to speak.

Walking around with a piping hot bowl of ramen in one hand and a set of chopsticks in the other, Naruto happily slurped away on his noodle dish as he enjoyed the sights and sounds of the school.

At least he would have enjoyed the sights and sounds were it not for the fact that another sound caught his attention. It was a very familiar sound, one he had heard so many times when he had been training with Ero-sennin that he could tell what it was as easily as he could you his hair color.

It was the sound of perverted giggling.

* * *

><p><strong>~KatCHRP~<strong>

* * *

><p>Hyoudou Issei was a 17 year old high school student of average height with short brown hair and light brown eyes. He wore the same standard academy uniform as everyone else who went to Kuoh Academy, though he also wore a red undershirt and blue sneakers. There was not much else that could be ascribed to him. He was, in all regards, a below average student not worthy of notice except for one fact.<p>

He was a complete and utter pervert. In fact, he, along with his two other friends, Mitsuda and Motohama, was known as one of the _Hentai San'nin-Gumi_. Or the Perverted Trio.

Which would explain his current activity. An activity he and his two friends were partaking in with great relish.

Peeping on the kendo club as they got changed in the girls locker room. Just looking at all that lovely, female flesh, the soft, milky skin, and the incredible range of breast sizes was enough to make him and the other two perverts nearly cream themselves.

"You look like you're having a good time?"

Issei's grin widened as he nodded along with the voice. "Yeah..." His friends nodded as well, neither realizing that the voice did not belong to any of them.

"It's a nice view, isn't it?"

Issei's drooling stated how much he agreed. "Yeah..."

"I'm glad you three are enjoying this so much. It's good to enjoy something while it lasts."

Issei blinked. Now that was a strange remark.

Too bad he wouldn't get to ponder on it for much longer.

"EEK! PEEPERS! PERVERTS! LECHES! HOW DARE YOU PEEK INTO THE GIRL'S LOCKER ROOM!" A voice shrieked from behind them. The Perverted Trio's eyes all widened as their danger senses kicked in. they tried to turn around so they could run away from the scene of the crime.

They might have been able to too, except at that moment a set of strong, steel wires rose up from the ground and wrapped around the trio, pulling them together and making them trip and fall to the ground.

"Wha-What happened!?" One of Issei's friends, Mitsuda, shouted in surprise. "Where did this wire come from!?"

Issei would have liked an answer to that as well.

Too bad he wouldn't get one.

"So you're the three who thought they could peep on us?"

Fear coursed through his veins at the sound of the voice. He didn't want to, but was unable to stop himself as he looked up into the eyes of the kendo captain, who was unfortunately dressed in the academy uniform once more.

Even more unfortunately, she had her shinai with her, lightly tapping the 'bladed' side against the palm of her free hand in a manner that sent shivers of terror down Issei's spine.

"Why am I not surprised it's you three. I would have thought you'd learn your lesson the last time this happened, but it seems you need to be taught using more... forceful... methods."

"More forceful!?" Motohama shrieked. "The last time you used your shinai to hit us in the man jewels!"

The kendo club captain grinned a devilish grin.

"I know."

* * *

><p><strong>~KatCHRP~<strong>

* * *

><p>As screams of pain emitted from the Perverted Trio, Naruto found himself snickering joyously as he watched the scene from the school rooftops. He had nothing against the perverted trio, or even perverts in general, but they were just too easy for him to prank for their own good.<p>

He simply couldn't help himself. It was in his nature to prank people who left themselves so open.

Besides, they would be fine. Perverts were an incredibly resilient bunch. They could take the most brutal of beatings by a horde of angry females and get up seconds later like it had never happened. He only had to look at Jiraiya as an example. During their three year training trip Naruto had lost count of the number of times his perverted sensei had been beaten to near death, only to recover a second later as if nothing had ever happened.

"KRAAAA! NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE!"

Yes, these three would recover soon enough.

"KYAAA! YES THE FACE! YES THE FACE!"

...Maybe.

As the blond's snickers turned into light chuckles, he felt as if someone was watching him. Turning towards the source, he realized that someone was indeed watching him. Two someone's, in fact.

Both of them were females, wearing the standard Kuoh Academy uniform; a white long-sleeved, button-down shirt with a black ribbon on the collar, a black shoulder cape and matching button-down corset, and a magenta skirt with white accents. They were also, he noted immediately, incredibly beautiful.

One of them was a gorgeous, buxom young woman with long raven colored hair, violet eyes and pale skin. Her hair was tied into a long pony-tail reaching all the way down to her legs, with two antenna sticking out from the top and sloping backwards while an orange ribbon kept it in place. Naruto believed the term people used for someone like her was Yamato Nadeshiko, which Naruto remembered from his culture class was the term used to describe the ideal Japanese woman.

However, while this girl was indeed beautiful, it was the other one who got his attention. She was a young girl who appeared to be in her late teens and had a figure that was just as generous as the other girl's. Her creamy skin looked like it was softer than silk and her blue-green eyes were incredibly enchanting. Between her thin waste, wide hips, small shapely butt, large breasts, silky looking skin, enchanting eyes and a face that looked like it had been crafted by an angel, the girl was easily one of the most beautiful females Naruto had ever seen.

It was none of these features that truly made her stand out to him, however.

That honor belonged to her hair. Gorgeous long tresses of crimson red hair spilled down her head and reached all the way down to her thighs and had a single strand sticking out from the top. It was a much darker shade of red than his mother's, the color and darkness almost reminding him of blood, but still, Naruto could not help but think the girl had some of the most beautiful hair he had ever seen.

As the pair stood there on the ground, looking up at him where they had stopped walking to where ever it was they had been heading to, the blond cast the pair a bright grin and waved merrily at them. The Nadeshiko girl looked amused and waved back. Meanwhile, the crimson haired female tilted her head, looking a tad curious for several moments before a soft smile played from her lips and she waved back.

Deciding to put on a bit of a show, the blond allowed himself to fall off the roof. Before he could get far, his hands hooked themselves onto the water drain. With the gravity pushing him yet his hands keeping him up, Naruto's feet curved a parabolic arc that led him straight through the open window tht he had previously used to get onto the roof in the first place.

Grinning, the blond began walking down the hall.

The grin left him as soon as the bell rang.

Heaving a sigh as his freedom was cut short once more, Naruto began making his way back to class.

* * *

><p>"Akeno," Rias Gremory, the crimson haired girl, said as she watched the strange, spiky headed blond disappear through the window in an impressive acrobatic display. For a human. "Do you know who that was?"<p>

"That's the new student, Uzumaki Naruto-kun," Akeno answered dutifully. "He's in class 2-B, the same class as Kiba-kun. Not much is known about him. It's only been about a month since he started coming to school here." Her lips curved into a teasing smile. "Why do you ask? Has Rias-Sama become interested in Kuoh Academy's newest student?"

Rias did not say anything to deny or confirm Akeno's taunt. She merely looked up at the still open window Naruto had flown through, it's curtains fluttering in the breeze.

* * *

><p><strong>~KatCHRP~<strong>

* * *

><p>Hyoudou Issei could not believe his phenomenal change in luck. The day had seemed so bleak after he had been beaten to a near death like state by the girls in the kendo club. At the time, he could not help but feel like the world was out to get him just because he openly claimed to like breasts more than he should and had no issues freely ogling girls as they got changed.<p>

It was like the whole world had been out to get him just because he was more open about his perverseness than most guys.

And then she came. Yuuma, a beautiful girl with long black hair that fell down to her waist and kind, violet eyes. She wore a short black dress that allowed a tantalizing glimpse of her amazing legs and a light purple jacket on top.

Issei still could not believe he was dating this beautiful girl, or that _she _had been the one to ask _him _out. It was like god had finally taken pity on him and decided to grace him with this sweet, innocent and beautiful girl.

Oh, if only he knew.

The two of them had just finished their first date, which consequently was also the first date Issei had ever been on. It had been incredible. They had done all the things Issei imagined a couple would do on their first date, going to a clothing store where he had bought Yuuma a cute scrunchy bracelet, then they had gone out to an ice cream parlor where he had gotten a soft drink and his girlfriend had ordered an ice cream sunday.

Throughout the entire date, Issei had not been able to stop thinking about how lucky he was. Even his normally perverted thoughts had only cropped up on occasion. He had not even thought about how she would be an excellent first addition to his harem. He had not even thought about his harem at all.

Issei could honestly say he was beginning to fall in love with this girl.

"Issei-kun."

After their date, the two had made their way to a park. The sun was now going down and the vast array of colors cast halos around Yuuma, making her even more beautiful than before.

"Yes, Yuuma-chan?" Issei asked, his heart skipping a beat as she smiled at him.

"To commemorate our first date," Yuuma looked so cute as she blushed demurely and pressed a finger to her lips. "Will you grant me my wish?"

Issei felt like he had just died and gone of heaven. His heart was beating a thousand miles a second. The painfully fast 'thump thump' his this blood pumping organ was almost overpowering.

Was this it? The moment of truth. Would he finally receive his first kiss?

"W-What it is?"

"Could you please die for me?"

…

…

"Eh?" Issei scratched his cheek, his confusion more than evident. "Uh... could you... repeat that? I don't think I heard you right."

Yuuma's smile became increasingly sinister.

"Could you please die for me?"

Without warning, wings burst from Yuuma's back, tearing her the fabric of her dress and jacket, leaving two gaping holes in the back. The wings were very large, spanning nearly two meters in length. They looked like angel wings, except that the feathers were black instead of white.

With a flap of her wings, Yuuma shot into the air and hung several feet above the flabbergasted Issei.

"I had a lot of fun with you these past couple of days," Yuuma said as she held out her hand. Light seemed to gather and coalesce within it, creating what looked like a long spear. "Dating a child like you was a nice break for me, and I'll always treasure this gift you gave me." She held out the small scrunchy he bought her. "That is why I'm going to make this as painless as possible."

She threw the spear at him. Issei, still in shock and trying to understand what was going on, could do nothing more than watch as the spear of light traveled towards him like a bullet.

Fortunately, someone else was in the area and saw what was happening.

This someone also happened to be the kind of person who could never look away when someone else needed help.

Issei found himself shoved onto the ground just before the spear of light could reach him. Instead of shooting through his flesh, it ended up embedded on the ground several feet away where it soon dissipated.

Yuuma looked both shocked and angry.

"Who the hell are you!?"

Issei blinked at her words, then looked towards the person who saved him. It was boy with spiky blond hair, blue eyes, and some strange birthmarks on his cheeks that looked like whiskers. He was wearing a pair of black pants, a dark orange shirt and orange sneakers. Issei could have sworn he had seen this boy before, but was having trouble remembering where.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto," the blond boy introduced himself with a grin. "And I'm sorry to say this, but even though this dudes a complete pervert, I can't let you kill him."

* * *

><p>Naruto wondered if it was karma that led him to where he was now, standing in front of some girl with black angel wings as she floated above him and the kid he had just saved from getting skewered with some weird spear made of what looked like light. Seriously, there was just no other explanation for why this would be happening to him. Hadn't he left the life of powerful jutsu and epic battles behind?<p>

Apparently not. Oh well. Life was getting boring anyways.

"You can't let me kill him?" the girl's eyes narrowed. "I don't think you understand what's going on, so I'm going to give you a chance to leave and pretend you never saw any of this happen. Now, step aside."

"Sorry," Naruto scratched the back of his neck while offering a sheepish grin. "While I don't know what's going on, it's clear to me that you were going to kill this guy." He shrugged helplessly. "I simply can't stand by and watch someone getting killed right in front of my eyes when I have the power to stop it. You want the pervert, you're going to have to go through me."

"So you want to be a hero, then?" the strange evil angel girl said, grinning. "Fine then. You can see what happens to people who try to play hero."

Another light spear appeared in her hands. She tossed it, this time at Naruto.

Too bad for her Naruto was not Issei. He would not stand there looking stupid while letting her shoot a light spear through his stomach.

Tucking into a forward roll, Naruto let the spear of light shoot the ground he had been standing on. As he came up, the blond reached into his back pocket where he kept a kunai on him at all times.

It was a habit that let him remember his roots.

Knowing that he couldn't just toss the kunai at the girl because he would be done if he lost it, Naruto also pulled out a spool of ninja wire, which he tied to the loop located at the hilt of the kunai. As he came up from his roll, the blond deftly tossed the projectile at the girl with black wings, who dodged it very easily. The range between them was simply too far for him to throw and expect it to hit.

"I don't know what you were hoping to accomplish with that," she taunted. "Something like that would never hit me."

Naruto grinned.

"Who says I was trying to hit you?"

With his hands gripping the wire, Naruto yanked, pulling the kunai back down. Moving his hands in a set of complicated hand motions, the blond managed to force the wire attached to the kunai to wrap around the girl's leg.

"What the―!?"

"Down you go!"

His arm muscles flexing, Naruto used all his considerable strength to yank the girl back down to his level. Considering taijutsu was the only thing he could train in ― thus causing him to train like Rock Lee ― he had grown pretty damn strong physically speaking. Which would explain the impressive results derived from his actions.

Yuuma's eyes widened as she was sent spiraling towards the ground. Before she could even think of flapping her wings, her body smashed the pavement of the park hard enough to leave a dent.

Groaning, the girl stood up on wobbly legs and looked up as the sound of feet hitting pavement reached her ears.

She was just in time to see Naruto's fist meet her face.

The sound of crashing thunder rang through the clearing as flesh smacked against flesh. Yuuma was sent tumbling back from the surprisingly hard hit. It felt like her face had been smashed in by a freight train.

Who knew humans had this much strength?

Naruto grinned as the girl hit the ground on her back, looking absolutely stunned as a large bruise appeared on her cheek. It was good to know he still had it.

The girl sat up and looked at Naruto with a glare, which just caused his grin to widen.

"There's plenty more where that came from if you don't leave the pervert alone." Said pervert was still standing behind Naruto, staring stupidly at the scene as the blond cracked his knuckles.

Yuuma snorted. "I'll admit, you're a lot stronger than most humans," she stood up and dusted off her dress. "That punch actually hurt. However, this is over." She gave the now confused blond a devious smile. "You're already dead."

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto. Yuuma didn't say anything, just smiled widely. Not that she needed to say anything, because Naruto felt it.

Or rather, Naruto didn't feel it. In fact, he didn't feel much of anything from the waist down. It was like he had just suddenly gone numb.

Looking down, Naruto found himself staring at the spear of light that was located in the center of his chest with shock. As blood began welling up in his mouth and dribbling down the side, he looked back up at the girl with black angel wings.

"When d you...?"

"When you punched me," Yuuma grinned. "You were so focused on hitting me, you didn't even see me stab a light spear into you. I'll admit, I'm actually impressed you lasted this long with that in your chest."

More blood began welling up in his throat. Naruto gurgled as he made to surge forward and continue fighting, but fell flat on his back instead. The sound of footsteps approached him, and the blond got a prime view of Yuuma's panties as she stepped over him and towards the still stupid looking Issei. Before she could get far from him, Naruto's left hand shot out and latched onto her leg.

Yuuma turned around in mild surprise. "Oh, you're still alive, are you? I suppose that's fine. Just consider it punishment for getting in my way." She kicked his hand off her leg and continued marching towards Issei.

As Naruto's vision began to dim, he tried to force his body to move, tried to make it do something, anything.

It was all for naught. He couldn't even _feel _his body much less make it obey his whims.

Man. This sucked. Here he was, trying to help someone out, but all he ended up doing was getting himself killed.

This was definitely karma.

Naruto's last thoughts were of his old friends. He wondered if they were happy. Were they working together towards building a better future now that Madara, Obito and the Juubi were gone? Had they finally found peace?

Gods he hoped so. It would suck even more to die and find out that his sacrifice had been in vain.

* * *

><p><strong>~KatCHRP~<strong>

* * *

><p>As Issei bleed out from the wound as his stomach, his mind going black, a small slip of paper that he d put into his back pocket and forgot about began to glow a deep crimson. The sheet of paper with the strange looking circle flew out from Issei's back pocket. There was a flash of bright light before the sheet disappeared and the circle that looked like something from the occult glowed a deep, bloody red. The circle hovered in mid air for but a moment, then began a slow descent towards the ground. And as it did, a figure appeared from within it.<p>

Rias Gremory looked at the boy who she had correctly assumed had a Sacred Gear, a powerful weapon given to humans by God. It was for this reason that she had not stopped what had transpired. Now that he was dead, she could properly resurrect him and make this boy her pawn.

A cough interrupted her inspection of the boy with a whole in his stomach. Startled, she turned her head towards the source of the noise and was even more surprised when she saw who it had come from. Uzumaki Naruto. That boy who had peeked her curiosity on the roof when he had played a prank on Issei and his two friends. What was he doing here?

Walking over to the blond haired young man, Rias was even more shocked when she discovered how injured he was. He was lying in a pool of blood and there was a large hole going straight through the center of his chest. Obviously, the wound that caused all the blood to be spilled in the first place.

Even more shocking was that he was still alive. His were grit as he struggled to remain alive, his fingers tightly dug into the ground, creating small indents in the pavement as if his very body were doing everything possible to fight off the inevitable. His eyes were flickering from bright blues to a duller, more lifeless look.

What an incredibly strong will. From the amount of blood underneath him, it was clear he should have bleed out long ago. Only his stubborn will was keeping him alive. It simply refused to let him die.

His eyes locked onto hers. Azure blue met greenish blue. There was a moment where his eyes seemed to flicker towards something behind her. No. he just wasn't looking at her eyes. What was he staring at?

He smiled.

"Such..." he coughed, causing more blood to spurt out of his throat. It was a miracle he could even speak. "Such... beautiful... red hair..."

Rias found herself feeling surprisingly flush. No one had ever complimented her hair before. And _no one _had complimented her with such admiration in their voice. That it came from someone who was on their death bed was even more surprising.

Absently, she reached out and held a strand of her crimson locks between two of her fingers and twirled it around. For a moment, she wondered what she should do. In some ways, this boy had died because of her. It wasn't right that he should die because of the machinations of devils and angels.

Right. There was only one thing she could do.

Snapping her fingers caused a brief flash of light to appear within her hand. When the light died down it was to reveal an object in her hand.

A chest piece to be exact. However, this chess piece was different from the standard chess pieces. For one, it was red. For another, it was glowing. It also did not look like any chess piece Rias had ever seen. It was unusual. It was different.

It was mutated.

"_I believe you will find an interesting use for this... don't worry, you will know when to use it."_

As she stared at the mutated piece, she remembered the words her brother had told her when he had given it to her. She had wondered back then why he would give her such a rare and valuable piece, but now she couldn't help but wonder.

Had he foreseen this? Did he know something like this would happen? It seemed improbable, but knowing her brother she did not discard it as impossible.

"One month," she murmured. Her brother had given this mutated piece to her exactly one month ago. Coincidentally, Naruto started going to school at Kuoh Academy exactly one month ago.

Rias decided that she was going to be having words with her brother about this the next time she saw him.

"Well, I guess there is nothing else to it," Rias told the blond as he fought to stay alive. "I will not be letting you die today. So from now on, you will be living for me."

* * *

><p><strong>Short chapter, I know. This actually wasn't what I would normally call a full chapter, but I didn't want to put anything else that may force you guys to take this story in any direction. This chapter was to the point and simply showed what the story was about.<strong>

**So basically, this story is a Naruto/Highschool DxD crossover. For those of you who know Highschool DxD you will know that this challenge has started at the beginning of the manga but also took parts from the anime.**

**For those of you who don't know what Highschool DxD is, I suggest you read the manga before deciding on whether or not you want to take this challenge.**

**This idea was born from another story. I'm sure a good few of you have read Kur0Kishi's work. They've written their own Naruto/Highschool DxD crossover called End Game Version R. It's a pretty good story so I would suggest reading it.**

**Now, while I love that story, I've noticed a pattern with not just Kur0Kishi's fics, but most if not all Naruto crossovers. They either go one of two ways. A) Naruto is a godlike, bad ass mother fucker who comes into this new world pawning everyone left and right and ends up with this ridiculously massive harem. Or B) Naruto is still strong, but is this broken shell of a man who has so many issues and extra baggage it's a miracle he can continue living. There is also C) but that's just a combination of the two.**

**That being said, there are only a rare few Naruto crossovers where Naruto retains his base personality from the canon timeline. Stories like A New World, The Story Of A Lost Shinobi by Lanky Nathan are a rarity. **

**And that is why I have decided to make this challenge. I want to see someone write a Naruto/Highscool DxD crossover where Naruto has retains his base personality, that of the friendly and charismatic ninja who never gives up and will always protect what's precious to him because that's his ninja way.**

**All this being said, there are a few rules for this story.**

**First rule. This will be Naruto/Rias. Now, because Highschool DxD is pretty much a harem fanservice type manga, I will allow a harem, but you cannot go beyond five women. That means this CAN be Naruto/Rias/?/?/?/? If you want it to be.**

**Second rule. There will be no bashing of Issei. I know some people don't like him. I don't really know why. Sure, he's a shameless pervert, but he's a lot like Naruto in that he'll go above and beyond what's expected of him for someone he cares about. We saw that when he rescued Asia from the Fallen Angels and when he rescued Rias from getting married to Riser. The way I see it, he's sort of like how Jiraiya was when he was younger, and people love the Elemental Nations self proclaimed super pervert.**

**Third rule. Issei will be paired with Asia. I will also allow him to have a smaller harem with 3 girls, meaning it COULD be Issei/Asia/?/?.**

**Fourth Rule. You cannot overpower Naruto. Starting out, Naruto's strength will only be around the level of a highly skilled genin. Think canon Sasuke level at the start of Naruto. He will have to grow in strength like everyone else.**

**Fifth rule. Kurama. The old fox is still sealed inside of Naruto. I will leave it to you when you want to reveal him to Naruto again.**

**Which brings me to my sixth rule. Because Naruto has Kurama he will not be gaining any Sacred Gears. He doesn't need them. At full strength, Naruto and Kurama are more powerful than even Great Red, so giving him more power would be pointless.**

**If you want to take this, give me a PM. I wish you all luck in your writing.**


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